Yesterday, Palm Sunday, began what we traditionally call “Holy Week” – the days between Christ’s entry into Jerusalem and his rising from the grave on Easter Sunday. Each of the four gospels spends a great deal of time recounting the events of this momentous week, and so there’s a lot to consider, a lot to think through, a lot going on… how can you keep track of it all? How can you think rightly through what the scriptures say about this week?
The first answer is the obvious one, yet it’s also the one that most people overlook: read the scriptures. Do you want to know what’s going on during these “final days of Jesus”? Then look to the scriptures. Make it a priority to read through one (or more) of the gospel sections that record the events of this week. You can find the relevant passages in Matthew 21-28, Mark 11-16, Luke 19:29-24:53, and John 12:12-21:25.
The second answer is to look to a resource that gives a summary of what’s going on. Two that I am finding helpful are (1) The Final Days of Jesus by Andreas Kostenberger and Justin Taylor, and (2) a daily video series hosted by Pastor Jim Davis that includes a ~10 minute devotion about the events that happen each day of Holy Week.
Take time to read, to watch, and to pray: remind yourself of who your Savior is and what he has done (or see it with fresh eyes for the first time)!
