Holy Week (or Passion Week) is the most significant and sacred week for Christians world-wide. One of the reasons is that it is the last week of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ. The week begins on “Palm Sunday” and ends on Easter Sunday when Christians celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
Palm Sunday commemorates the humility, and yet “triumphal entry” of Jesus Christ into the holy city of Jerusalem riding on a donkey. He was greeted by large crowds “who took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him” (John 12:13).
Palm Sunday also fulfills what was actually spoken by Zechariah the prophet centuries before the event took place: “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” (Zechariah 9:9).
Holy Thursday, the day before Good Friday, when the Lord Jesus partakes of the “Last Supper” with His apostles. Also, on this occasion “The Lord’s Supper” or “Holy Communion” was instituted.
Good Friday marks the anniversary of the crucifixion of Christ on the Cross. The Scripture says: “When they came to the place that is called The Skull, where they crucified him.” The place is called “the skull.” Skull is often used as a symbol of death.
Let us keep in mind that this was all in God’s redemptive plan for the salvation of mankind. The Scripture declares that “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, and was buried” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4).
“This emphasizes the substitutionary character of the death of Jesus Christ. He did not die for His own sins or as a martyr; He died for our sins. He died to pay the penalty that our sins deserved. This was all according to the Scripture” (William MacDonald).
H
Because of Jesus’s substitutionary death on the cross, sinful man can now be reconciled to the Holy God who has provided salvation for all mankind.
After Christ’s death, He was taken down from the cross, and His physical body was placed in a new tomb and sealed with a huge stone until His glorious resurrection.
Three days after His death and burial, the Lord Jesus Christ rose triumphantly from the dead. The resurrection is undeniable proof of his death and burial.
The Bible provides all the details of Christ’s burial and His resurrection. Isaiah prophesied about His burial when he declared: “And they made His grave with the wicked and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, and there was no deceit in His mouth” (Isaiah 54:9). In His resurrection, the Bible says: “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul in Sheol or let your holy one see corruption” (Psalm 16:9,10).
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the holiest day in the Christian community. The fact is that Jesus showed Himself alive after three days in the tomb. It is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Special church services are convened around the world to celebrate this grand and wonderful occasion.
The resurrection tells us that death is not an end in itself. Scripture tells us: “Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).
“The resurrection of Christ makes it possible for us to walk in newness of life. Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. This simply means all the divine perfections of God — His righteousness, love, justice, etc. — demanded that He raised the Lord. In view of the excellence of the Person of the Savior, it would not be consistent of God’s character to leave the Savior in the tomb. God did raise Him, and because we are identified with Christ in His resurrection, we can and should walk in newness of life” (Believers Bible Commentary pg. 1701).