Holy Week in Lent

“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. And they will scourge Him and put Him to death. And the third day He will rise again.” Luke 18:31b-33

This prophetic word by Jesus defines the context of Holy Week, the last week of the Lenten season. It is an intense time spiritually because as we draw closer to the cross of Jesus Christ all of heaven and earth seem to hold their breath in anticipation of the great events which are unfolding before our eyes by the hand of God. It is for that reason that we call it “holy” week. It is the week in which God’s terrible judgment on sin is revealed and in which God’s unbelievable offer of mercy and grace is tendered to a fallen world. It is the week in which the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the world is offered and accepted, the week in which death is embraced and forever conquered, the week in which the head of the serpent is crushed beneath the heel of God’s Anointed, the week in which the gates of hell are forever vanquished and in which the gates of heaven are finally opened. There is quite literally nothing trivial in this final week of the Lord’s ministry and we need to pause and lay hold of its fullness if we are to truly receive the measure of grace which lies within it. To apply the words of Jesus Christ given in a different context but nonetheless true for the events contained in this week: “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28)

Holy Week will take us through a variety of experiences and many steps of faith. It begins with the celebration and excitement of the Palm Sunday entrance into Jerusalem; leads us to a depth of contemplation, remembrance and reflection on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; finds us sharing the Last Supper with the Lord on Thursday; standing at the foot of His cross on Friday; waiting in silent vigil on Saturday; and finally rejoicing at the sunrise and the shout of victory that greets Resurrection Sunday. Again I say, there is no limit to the grace that abounds for those who enter these days in faith and love. There is more depth in the events of this week than any one person could capture, more even than all of the people in every age and every nation could fathom. This week is inexhaustible in its richness. We could think upon the events of this one week for all of our days on earth and still have need of eternity to complete our praise and thanksgiving for the great works of God on our behalf. Let us therefore celebrate these holy and precious events and not let them pass without drawing from them everything that they offer. May we all go up to Jerusalem with our Lord to once more experience and receive the depths of God’s love manifested in His deliverance. “Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.” John 1:29b