Walking Through Holy Week

By: Heather Shoffstall, Director of Student Ministry

Holy Week has always been very special to me. I love everything from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. As a matter of fact, my daughter Kendra was born 22 years ago on Easter Saturday, April 19 and I made sure we were home on Sunday to enjoy dinner and fellowship with our family.

But that is only one of the reasons that Holy Week is special. We start the week with the celebration of Jesus riding into Jerusalem to the shouts of the crowd:

Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest. ~ Luke 19:38 (CSB)

As we make crosses from the palms, we are reminded that this celebration will change in just a few days to grief and sorrow to astonishment and joy.

Holy Thursday, or Maundy Thursday is the day that marks the last conversation Jesus has with his disciples; a conversation grounded in what he calls a new commandment. He illustrates and underscores the new commandment by washing the disciples’ feet: “Love one another as I have loved you.” The sacred act of communion on this night allows us to share in the meal that Jesus shared with his disciples.

Our Good Friday worship is about standing in silence at the foot of the cross. Too many words get in the way of the weight, the meaning, the moment of this day. As we read through the passages of Jesus’ last moments on earth and extinguish the candles, the room falls into darkness and silence. It is a time for us to reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus as he took our sins and died for our forgiveness.

Saturday’s pause before Sunday’s triumph is not a day that we consider as part of Holy Week. It should be a day of quiet reflection between the tragic events of the past week to the celebration of Easter. We have spent the last 40 days of Lent preparing for Easter, but how often have you paused to reflect on that preparation?  

These three days that end Holy Week should be a time of remembering and reflection. I challenge you to participate in these services and days in a way that helps you to draw closer to Jesus. Focus on Him and then on Easter Sunday join in the shouts of joy that our Savior has risen!