Come and celebrate Holy Week and Easter with us

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Holy Week Thoughts

Faith Family,

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I continue to give thanks to our gracious God for putting you all in our lives. Your faithfulness and your enthusiasm fill my heart with joy and helps complete my hope in Christ. Every day I look forward to serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ alongside each of you and growing in our discipleship journey together. I pray as God has continued blessings us, may we continue to be a blessing to others.

What a great Palm Sunday service we had, and a great way to kick off Holy Week. I am so looking forward to what the Holy Spirit is going to do in the lives of this congregation this week, not to mention this coming year.  So many things are beginning to be birthed in the small group area. These will be opportunities for us to grow in our discipleship. Not to mention an exciting community/congregational outreach that the Outreach team is putting together for a workshop on caring for our aging parents, and vital information for caregivers.

This past Sunday, we kicked off Holy Week. We are reminded of God’s presence, plan and person woven through the event that took place as Jesus “triumphantly” rode into Jerusalem. Have you ever wondered why they call it the “Triumphant Entry?” Jesus hadn’t done anything triumphant yet? Yes, he did amazing things such as healing and performed miracles. But the triumph that we celebrate on Palm Sunday, really didn’t happen until Resurrection Sunday. It was His victory over sin and death that we celebrate on Palm Sunday, but all because of God’s love, perseverance, faithfulness and Sovereignty.

According to Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus had a full week. If you were to take the following chronologically, Jesus confronted thieves at the Temple, that were cheating the pilgrims coming in for Passover. Jesus cursed a fig tree as an example of fruitless lives. He shared about his death, the mystery of his return, and the importance of belonging to the Kingdom of God. That was Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday, they began preparing for the Passover, renting an upper room, gathering the food for the meal. It was also the day that stronger conversation began between the Pharisees and Judas to betray Jesus.

Thursday evening the disciples gathered with their Rabbi, Jesus, and began following the traditional Passover liturgy. However, Jesus did a few things different. He changed the story from those coming out of Egypt, to those coming out of sin and death. The break and wine were still symbols of God’s provision, but this time it was the provision of Jesus’ sacrifice. According to John’s Gospel, Jesus also included a teaching moment of servant hood as he washed their feet. They left the upper room and gathered in the Garden of Gethsemane where they prayed. Later that evening (or early in Friday morning), Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss.

Friday continued Jesus’ long week but instead of teaching, preaching, healing and confronting opposition, he now found himself as a prisoner. Through beatings, humiliation and a mock trial, Jesus was sentenced to death. 

The very ones who were singing his praises on Sunday, were now influenced by the religious leaders and were asking for his death. Jesus took the long walk to Golgotha, carrying his own cross. He was nailed to that cross and lifted up for to tourists to see. Above his head was a sing that read, “King of the Jews.” Later that evening, Jesus breathed his last breath, the sky turned black and the curtain in the Holy of Holies in the Temple ripped from top to bottom. It was finished. 

I will stop here. This is where we need to reflect on this week. The triumph that took place just five days after Jesus rode into Jerusalem. The triumph that the people didn’t truly understand. In fact, I would say that people today (2000 years later), still don’t fully understand. 

But yet, it was Jesus’ sacrifice, and God’s sacrificial love that has given us the opportunity to be free from the bondages of sin and death. That is what Holy Week is all about. It is always darkest before the dawn. Friday it couldn’t have gotten any darker. However, Sunday is just around the corner, and the light of Christ will shine brightly.

I pray your continued journey in 2026 to be an Acts 2 Church will be found with limited stress and an abundance of peace and joy. 

Have a blessed Holy Week!

Pastor Frank