Holy Week

Last Sunday was Palm Sunday and now we are ready to celebrate Easter on this coming Sunday. Holy Week, in the Christian Calendar is the week leading up to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

During the week, Holy Communion, the Eucharist, the Lord's Supper or the Last Supper was instituted by Jesus. This is observed on Thursday, Maundy Thursday. Jesus was meeting with his disciples in the Upper Room to celebrate the Passover. The Passover commemorates the final plague, the death of the first born, when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt.

During the time they ate the Passover meal, Jesus blessed the unleavened bread and shared it with the 12 disciples, admonishing them that this was to remind them of him and his body which would be sacrificed for them as well as all of us. He also blessed the cup of wine and told them to drink it in remembrance of him and the blood he was to shed.

After the meal had ended, the group went to Gethsemane. There Jesus was to pray and Judas was to come to betray him with a kiss. The betrayal of Jesus set the stage for the Pharisees to put Jesus on trial.

After convicting him, they would take him to Pontius Pilate, the Roman ruler, to be condemned to death then crucified and buried. Good Friday, Holy Friday or Black Friday is the darkest day in the Christian Calendar. It observes Christ's trial, crucifixion and burial in the tomb.

Saturday, Holy Saturday, is a day of waiting and of vigil. Keeping watch as Christ's body lies in the tomb.

Sunday, Easter, is the day of Resurrection. The day the stone was rolled away from the tomb and the day Christ arose, defeating death.

All of this is accomplished in a relatively short time in a relatively small area in the Holy City of Jerusalem. Short time, small area but enormous meaning and impact for Christendom.