As we move into April, we run headlong into that week that the Church calls Holy. Have you ever wondered about the names of the days? There are even times that I have.

First we run into Palm Sunday. It is also called the Sunday of the Passion. This is the day in the Church Year where we mark the triumphal entry of our Lord Jesus into Jerusalem. Unfortunately, this is an often overlooked event. So many congregations practice confirmation that day that a serious element of the week to come gets lost. Thankfully, Zion gets the opportunity to observe this. Palm Sunday sets the stage for the rest of the week in the way that it shows us how this week will turn everything upside down.

The crowds sing and shout their Hosannas. The parade makes it look like the conquering hero enters the city to take his place of honor. And this is exactly what happens. Jesus is coming to take His place of Honor. But it is not a throne. It is a cross. The only one in that great processional crowd who knows this is Jesus. And He comes anyway. This is the Jesus we have.

This leads us to Maundy Thursday. As a kid I thought it was “Monday Thursday.” But actually the word Maundy comes from the Latin word mandantum. It means mandate. The mandate comes in the upper room when Jesus commands His disciples to “love one another as He has loved them.” Again, no one in the room knew, but the greatest love was only hours away as Jesus laid down His life on the cross.

Then we get to Good Friday. It is easy to ask, “What makes it so good?” Jesus is treated shamefully. He is brutally executed. But this is only what our eyes see. Faith sees the evil perpetrated against Jesus as it really is. That Friday is Good because of what it does for us. There on the cross all our sins are dealt with. Death is rendered powerless. Even Satan no longer has any claim on us. There is no greater Good than what we get on that Good Friday!

This is why it is so critical that we observe this week. It is this week that makes Easter so special. My dear friends every person reading this has family members who have treated Holy Week as just another week. They go about their lives as if what Jesus did there doesn’t really matter. This is a serious affront to Christ. Will you talk with Jesus about that? Pray that He will give you the strength to address them in the loving, yet serious manner that this Holy Week conveys? If someone claims the faith but treats its holiest week with contempt, there can be serious cause to worry about that person’s relationship with the Lord.

But for them and for you, Jesus still comes. He still triumphal enters our lives and hearts. He still comes to overturn our sinfulness and show us the greatest love and greatest goodness. He comes with the mandate to make every day good and every week holy. I will see you at each of the services in this truly HOLY WEEK.