The Holy Week- Observing the goodness of God through prayer and Meditation

Holy Week is the week leading up to Easter; it always starts on Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. Christians all around the world (2.4 billion followers) come together to celebrate the most pivotal event in history; the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let’s prepare for this sacred week by spending a few moments each day in the Lord’s presence.

PRAYER – Dear Father, give us a heart of curiosity and gratefulness for the Easter story. Help us draw near to you during the Holy Week. Calm our restlessness. Speak to us. In Jesus name, amen.

PALM SUNDAY celebrates Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. On his way there, Jesus traveled through Jericho, the “place of fragrance.” He ministered to a tax collector named Zacchaeus. After spending time in Zacchaeus’s home, Jesus left him with these words, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Jesus, on his way to his destination, Jerusalem, was not hindered by the disruption of Zacchaeus. He took time for the divine appointment with the lost. Now, as Jesus entered Jerusalem on his donkey, he was greeted by a crowd waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! (Matt. 21:9) This fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy found in Jeremiah 9:9. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” People were celebrating the arrival of a king…on a donkey of all things. Can you hear them? “Hosanna! Hosanna!”

PRAYER – Lord, we worship you today. We rejoice greatly in salvation. You described yourself as gentle and lowly (Matthew 11:29-30). Allow us to be still for a moment, meditating on your triumphant entry, riding on a colt, knowing you came to seek and save the lost. Show us new truth in the days ahead as we celebrate your life, death, and resurrection. In Jesus name, amen.

MONDAY – The whole city of Jerusalem was stirred up by this time. Emotions were high. Jesus, knowing the urgency of each minute, entered the temple only to find it being used for ungodly purposes. Jesus says in Matthew 21:13 “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer.’ but you make it a den of robbers.” Once the temple had been restored to its purpose, the blind and lame came there and Jesus healed them. Children were crying out in the temple, “Hosanna!” It must’ve been blessed chaos! Another prophesy was fulfilled for when the priests asked Jesus why the children were shouting Hosannah, Jesus responded “out of the mouths of infants and nursing babes, you have prepared praise.” (Psalm 8:2) Joy must’ve been on Christ’s face as he proclaimed this precious truth! To see, and hear, children worship is holy.

PRAYER – Lord, may we have the heart of a child, singing “Hosanna! Hosanna! …Hosanna in the highest.” May we have the intuition to know what needs to be cleaned out of our hearts and minds in order for your purpose and presence to be near to us. Thank you for your healing touch. We ask for your mercy today. In Jesus name, amen.

TUESDAY – Jesus began his morning teaching his disciples about faith by using a fig tree. His compelling lesson would carry his students through the darkest days to come. Afterwards, Jesus entered the temple where he spent the day avoiding traps from religious leaders. The priests questioned his authority, they challenged his allegiance, they attempted to ridicule Jesus’ belief in the resurrection, and finally, they questioned his simple knowledge of scripture by asking him which was the greatest commandment. We see in Matthew 21:23 – 25, the real, historical Jesus: fully in control as he responds with grace and truth to traps on all sides.

PRAYER – Dear Lord, help us abide in you, trusting you for each outcome, because you are God. As we meditate on this Holy Week, help us remember your goodness. Help us to be like you, full of grace and truth as we share you with others. In Jesus name, amen.

WEDNESDAY – Fragrance is introduced once again in the Holy Week story. Matthew 26:6-13 tells the story of a woman coming up to Jesus with an alabaster flask of expensive perfume. She poured it over Jesus’ head as he reclined at the table. His disciples came unglued! All they could think about was the value of the perfume. “What a waste,” they blurted out. But Jesus, once again, used this time to teach an urgent lesson; he told them he wouldn’t be with them much longer. She had prepared him for burial (Matthew 26:12). Imagine how the disciples felt. They’d have a full week of lessons and happenings, and now their Lord claims he’s being prepared for burial. Around the same time, Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples, went to the chief priests and made a deal to hand over Christ with a kiss. The plot to kill Jesus had been established and Judas would forever be known as the great betrayer.

PRAYER – Father, how beautiful the room must’ve smelt from the perfume. How heartbreaking it must’ve been to know Judas had fallen. The events of today are full of emotion. We’re in awe of the holiness of these moments. As the week progresses, so does the reality of your fate during the first Holy Week. Help us to understand your sovereignty. Help us lean on you when we’re anxious and unsettled. You provide all our needs and we are grateful. In Jesus name, amen.

MAUNDY THURSDAY – On Holy, or Maundy, Thursday, in an upper room, Jesus and his disciples shared the Last Supper. On this day, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and broke bread with them for the last time. Still celebrated today as a part of many congregational traditions, the bread broken and the wine shared represented the body and blood of Christ, to be broken and shed for the disciples, and all of us. During the meal, Jesus predicted his betrayal by one of them as well as Peter’s denial. After the meal, the disciples accompanied Jesus to the Garden at Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed in agony. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel came to strengthen Jesus in the garden. There, he taught his disciples, and us, what to do when we come to the end of our own strength and need God to help us press on. Maundy, from the Latin root madam, means “commandment” or “mandate.” On that Thursday Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment, which is why we use the term Maundy today. The word in this context is used by Jesus after he washes the feet of his friends.

PRAYER – Lord, give us all we need to walk by faith. Give us obedient hearts as you were obedient, even to death. Give us the same strength to pray, “not my will, but yours be done.” Help us to love others like you love. Keep before our eyes the image of your son, who, being God, became a servant for our sake. All glory be yours. In Jesus name, amen.

GOOD FRIDAY – Known as the darkest moment in history, Jesus sacrificed everything so that we could know him. Leading up to his death, he was betrayed by Judas, as predicted, and denied by Peter, as predicted. His disciples scattered. He was arrested and was placed on trial falsely. He was condemned, beaten, mocked, and required to carry his own cross to the place where he was crucified and died. “The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They stripped Him of His clothes and cast lots for them, fulfilling another prophecy. Amidst the most cruel, unfair, unjust, and painful death a human body could endure, Jesus chose to respond in grace to the criminal beside him. At the noon hour, Jesus cried out “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit,” and died. (Luke 23:44- 46) Jesus was taken down from the cross, wrapped in linens, and placed in a tomb. “Good” as defined in scripture is anything that causes us to be conformed to Christ; a process called “sanctification”. This good can only be done through God s Spirit. Thus, we celebrate the Lord’s goodness in a way that causes our hearts to grieve, to mourn, and all the while, feel his sanctification.

PRAYER – Lord, thank you for being with us in times of darkness and uncertainty. We look to you for help. Be near to us and save us so that we may praise you for your deliverance. Allow us to sit for a while with you today so we can meditate on your sacrifice. Clear our agendas, our minds, and our hearts so we can worship you on this ‘good’ Friday.

HOLY SATURDAY – For context, it’s helpful to understand the Jewish Sabbath. It was, and still is, observed every week beginning at sunset on Friday evening and ending after dark on Saturday evening. Since Christ died on Friday around noon, preparations were made for his body and placement in the tomb until sunset, when the Sabbath began. Once the Sabbath had begun, all burial traditions ceased until the next evening. “The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.” (Luke 23:55-56) Holy Saturday commemorates Jesus’ body resting in the tomb. It is a time for us be with the Lord, letting him provide restoration to our souls.

PRAYER – Lord, thank you for providing us with a weekly Sabbath. Teach us to take refuge in you when we are afraid. Teach us that death is not our end. Teach us to hope always in you and in the resurrection, the making of all things new. In Jesus name, amen.

EASTER SUNDAY – On the third day, after the Sabbath, the women returned to Jesus’ tomb to finish the burial preparations. Mary Magdalene arrived first. “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.” (John 20:1) Angels appeared to the women to tell them Jesus has risen (Matthew 28:2-7; Mark 16:4-7; Luke 24:2-7). The women, both afraid and joyful, remained first silent, and then quickly ran to find the eleven disciples. Mary ran ahead to tell Peter and John, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him” (John 20:2). Jesus met them on their way! Can you imagine? Jesus was alive! He had conquered death. Easter Sunday is a day of rejoicing…to celebrate with all believers, the greatest gift ever given. Take time to write out your feelings as you meditate on the Easter story. For more reading on the resurrection:

• Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-25, Luke 22:7-23.
• John 18:1-13, Luke 22:1-6, Luke 22:47-54, Matthew 26:47-56, Mark 14:43-50.
• Matthew 27:1-54, Mark 15:1-40, Luke 23:1-48, John 19:1-30.
• Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20.

PRAYER – Lord, help us to live in the gladness and grace of Easter Sunday every day. Let us have hearts of thankfulness for your sacrifice. Let us have eyes that look upon your grace and rejoice in our salvation. Help us to walk in that mighty grace and tell your good news to the world. In Jesus name, amen.

written by Dyanna Jones, March 2024