This coming week, April 17-24, is one of the highlights of the Christian churches around the world. Known as Holy Week, the church celebrates in both high festivities and somberness the final days leading up to the trial, crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

The week begins with Palm or Passion Sunday and can vary depending upon each tradition. Typically on Palm Sunday, Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem is celebrated with palm branches waving in procession and shouts of “Hosanna!” can be heard. Hosanna means “Save us, I pray,” in Aramaic. But in contrast, only days later the city would turn and cry out “Crucify Him!” The Passion of Christ, or His dying for the sins of the whole world, is also recounted on that day.

Maundy Thursday gets its name from the Latin word for “command,” mandatum.

This is because on the night before Jesus was betrayed He both humbly washed His disciples’ feet in forgiveness and also gave them a new command, the institution of the Lord’s Supper. Many churches observe this in different ways, but communion is most often celebrated on Maundy Thursday and sometimes in the form of a Jewish seder or Passover setting.

Some churches even practice the washing of one another’s feet.

Good Friday is the most solemn of all the days in the Christian church. On Good Friday, the trial, beating and death of Jesus upon the cross is recounted. Many observe mourning and fasting with special times in prayer while concentrating on Jesus dying. We are reminded that He was the only One sinless and yet He would become sin for us and take death in our place.

A tenebrae, or darkening, service is often held in which the church becomes darker through the evening, just as the darkness that shrouded the day when the Light of the World was being extinguished upon the cross.

The highest day of the church year follows on Easter Sunday. It was the first day of the week when Jesus’ body was not found dead in the tomb, but instead was raised to life, and the victory over death began! On Easter, many churches offer several special times, and ways of celebrating. Some hold services at sunrise to let creation proclaim that Jesus, the true Light of the World, is risen. Others have several services throughout the day, all pointing to the resurrection and the events that immediately followed. But almost everywhere around the globe on Easter you can hear “Alleluia,” which is Hebrew for “Praise the LORD,” a word very dear to the Christian church. Many churches have refrained from using it through the time of Lent leading up to Holy Week. It is God alone who is able to redeem us andGod alone who is worthy to be praised, so this is very fitting for Easter.

This next week take some time to stop, listen and focus on the events that give us true hope beyond the grave, Jesus’ death and resurrection. If you are blessed enough to have a Bible on hand, you can read the various accounts of Christ’s passion to prepare and recount what God has done for you.

They can be found in the four Gospels of the New Testament: Matthew 26-28; Mark 14-16; Luke 22-24; and John 13-20. You can also find much written in the Old Testament like Psalm 22 and Isaiah 52:13-53:12, just to name a few.

Have a great Holy Week!

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News, Pages 2 on 04/13/2011