What is Holy Week

What is “Holy Week”?
The majority of Christians across the globe refer to the week that begins with Palm Sunday and ends with Easter Sunday, as “Holy Week”. We follow Jesus from his triumphal entry, to his cross, death and resurrection.
During Holy Week we observe the Tenebrae Service on Maundy Thursday and our Good Friday services.
The high light is the festive celebration of the resurrection of Jesus on Resurrection (Easter) Sunday.

Because “holy” means that something is set apart for God, Holy Week belongs to the celebration of God and his Christ by remembering the central truth of the gospel that only Jesus Christ, the Son of God, saves us from our sins by his atoning death and victorious resurrection.

What is Palm Sunday?
Palm Sunday always falls on the Sunday before Easter Sunday. It remembers the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on the last Sunday before his Passion.

What is Maundy Thursday and the Tenebrae service? “Maundy” describes the sad darkness of this day. It was on this Thursday night that Jesus instituted his holy Supper, washed the feet of his disciples, experienced the anguish and fear of Gethsemane and was arrested and tried by the Jewish religious leaders. It was the night that he was betrayed by Judas and denied by Peter.

Tenebrae (Latin for 'shadows' or 'darkness') is a unique ceremonial, commemorative liturgy contemplating the suffering of Christ by the gradual extinguishing of candles, a series of Scripture readings, teaching on the significance of the Passion of Christ.

FIRST READER: Luke 22: 39 – 48
First reader extinguishes 1st candle. -
SECOND READER: Luke 22: 54 - 62.
Reader extinguishes 2nd candle
THIRD READER: Matt 27: 22 – 31
Reader extinguishes 3rd candle.
FOURTH READER: Luke 23: 26 - 28.
Reader extinguishes 4th candle.
FIFTH READER: Matt 27: 33 – 40
Reader extinguishes 5th candle
SIXTH READER: Luke 23: 39 – 43 and John 19: 25 - 27.
Reader extinguishes 6th candle.
SEVENTH READER: Luke 23 : 44 – 54
Reader extinguishes last candle.

At the Tenebrae service we recreate the emotional aspects of the passion events. It is not a happy service, because the night remembered is a dark, solemn one in which we are in mourning, because our sins caused the Son of Man so much affliction and distress.
It is an incomplete service, without benediction at the end, only to be completed on Easter Sunday.

Good Friday
Good Friday is not a day of celebration but of mourning, both for the sins of the world and our personal sin, punished by the death and suffering of Jesus Christ.
Yet, although Friday is a solemn commemoration, it is not without its own joy, for while we want to contrast the joy of Resurrection to the solemn sadness of Good Friday, likewise the sombreness of Good Friday is a prophecy of the hope of Resurrection Sunday. We always observe Good Friday, well knowing that Sunday is coming! Traditionally we remember the words of Jesus on the cross on Good Friday...

Seven Words on the Cross:
Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."
Luke 23:34

"Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Luke 23:43

"Jesus said to his mother: "Woman, this is your son".
Then he said to the disciple: "This is your mother."
John 19:26-27

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34

"I thirst"
John 19:28

When Jesus had received the wine, he said,
"It is finished"; John 19:30

Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
"Father, into your hands I commend my spirit":
Luke 23:46

Resurrection (Easter) Sunday is the glorious crown of all Christian worship that inspires every Sunday worship service of the year, where we are equipped to live for the glory of God every day of our lives, until the end! You could call it “the most important Sunday of the year”. We should all call it the most inspiring Sunday Worship one can celebrate! Resurrection Sunday, and therefore every Sunday, is a feast of worship and praise, because Jesus triumphed over death and all our enemies.

Pray every day of Holy Week that:
God will bless every service in your own church and amongst every Christian community in the world.
That Christ will call many to receive the Gospel.
That our love for Jesus will be enthused and that God, and worshipping him will be the priority of every Christian in the world – far beyond anything else we could plan or do this week.
That after we commemorated these blessed days, our lives will show the love and mercy of God in the work of Jesus Christ celebrated and remembered during these holy days!
That Jesus Christ, and only Jesus, will be celebrated.