Saturday
Palm Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Good Friday
Silent Saturday
Saturday. The Sabbath. There was nothing that could be done until the following the day. The followers of Jesus Christ mourned, believing Him dead. Unbeknownst to His followers, however, Jesus’ mission was not yet over.
Saturday
Palm Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Good Friday
Silent Saturday
Resurrection Sunday
Matthew 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-20; Luke 24:1-49; John 20:1-21:25
Jesus Christ had died, but due to the late hour and approaching Sabbath, His followers were not able properly prepare His body according to the customs. They spent the Sabbath mourning Him and on the following day, once the sun had risen, three women went to the tomb where Jesus had been buried. They were there out of love for Him. They had come to anoint His body, to honor Him. They were grieving. They had lost their friend and teacher, a Man whom they had seen perform impossible miracles and who had preached of love, forgiveness, and compassion.
Saturday
Palm Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Good Friday - It's time
Matthew 26:36-27:61; Mark 14:32-15:47; Luke 22:39-23:56; John 17:1-19:42
One day ended and another began, with hardly a note of the passing of days. Yet Jesus knew. He knew that His final day had arrived. He had no more time. The weight had settled firmly upon His shoulders. He needed strength.
Saturday
Palm Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday - One day
Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:21-26; Luke 22:7-33; John 13:1-30
Jesus knew it was His final day. He knew what was coming. Instead of moping about, as many of us may have done, Jesus spent the day in prayer and celebrations with His friends. The Passover celebration was, and remains, a major holiday for the Jews. It is a reminder of the slavery their ancestors suffered in Egypt and how their continued faith eventually led to their freedom. As the tenth and final plague, God struck down every firstborn, except those who had done as the Lord commanded and placed blood on the sides and tops of their door (Exodus 12:1-30). Those who had the blood on the doors were passed over. The Passover has been celebrated since Israel left Egypt, according to the instructions of the Lord.
Saturday
Palm Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday - Two days
Matthew 26:14-19; Mark 14:10-16; Luke 22:7-13; John 13:2*
When parents send their children off on their own, there is always a list of reminders - what to do what not to do. They try to remind them in the days before they leave, yet, it never fails, that as the child is walking away, the parent is shouting after them wisdom that they had forgotten to say earlier. With only two days left, was this the way Jesus was feeling while preparing the disciples?
Tuesday - Three days
Matthew 21:23-25:46; Mark 11:27-13:37; Luke 20:1-21:36
Once again, Jesus had left the city the previous night. The next morning, Jesus and His disciples returned to the city and the temple. On the way to the temple, the disciples noticed that the fig tree Jesus had cursed the previous day had already withered. They were surprised that it had happened so quickly. The fig tree was again serving as a visual parable. The fig tree, which stood for Israel, had rapidly withered and been destroyed, just as Israel would soon be destroyed. Today we know that approximately 40 years after Jesus caused the fig tree to wither and die, in AD 70, future Roman emperor Titus, along with his second-in-command Tiberius Julius Alexander seized and conquered Jerusalem, the holy city of Israel, and destroyed the temple of the Lord.
Monday - Four days
Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-48; John 2:13-22
After leaving the city and spending the night in Bethany, Jesus returned to Jerusalem the day after His royal entrance into the city. As Jesus walked towards Jerusalem, He passed a fig tree, which was not yet producing fruit. During this time of year, fig trees are full of leaves, but do not produce fruit. Jesus cursed the tree, using it as a visual parable for His disciples. The tree represented Israel. Outwardly, Israel looked healthy, like the tree with lots of leaves. Also like the tree, Israel lacked fruit. Rituals and traditions had taken the place of heartfelt worship.
Palm Sunday - Five Days
Matthew 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-41; John 12:12-18
Every year, Hollywood celebrities gather together to honor themselves at various awards shows. As they enter, they are surrounded by crowds and fans all screaming their names. At the royal weddings in 2011 and 2018, crowds gathered along the street, cheering for the newlyweds and hoping to catch a glimpse of the royal family. Crowds gathering to see someone they have heard about is nothing new. With just five days until His death, Jesus also drew a crowd.
Saturday - Six days
Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:2-8
It is rare, knowing the day, the hour, the minute, and the method of your death. It is rarer still, to know all the details surrounding your death, to know why you will die, the pain you will experience, who will be by your side, who will be cheering your death, and who will be mourning. If you knew, how would you spend your final week?
HOLY WEEK
An Introduction
JOIN THE FORGIVENESS FOUNDATION CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES AS WE TRACE THE STEPS OF JESUS DURING HOLY WEEK!
Ash Wednesday
The Beginning of Lent and a Time to Grow
Ash Wednesday, occurring this year on Wednesday, February 17, 2021, marks the beginning of Lent for the Catholic and Liturgical Protestant Christian churches. To understand the origin of Ash Wednesday it is necessary to understand Lent.
What is Lent? What is Ash Wednesday?
The Ash Wednesday I Never Knew
There was the hint of spring in the air while walking around the college campus that Wednesday. The warmer weather, and bright sun, was the reason my head was up instead of bowed against the cold and wind. If it had not been for the warmth I might never have noticed that every other person appeared to have a black smudge on their foreheads. Even some professors had the smudge! Well, it was a Catholic college, it must be one of those things Catholics did? Then I heard talk of giving up Facebook, chocolate, and video games for Lent. Lent, I vaguely knew what that was. Yep. It was definitely a Catholic thing. Wait! I did a double take. Was that my Lutheran friend with a black smudge? So maybe not just a Catholic thing? Although...they are both liturgical churches; maybe it is a liturgical church thing? It was a few more years before I understood that those "liturgical church things" are a way of growing and deepening my relationship with Jesus Christ.
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