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Entering Holy Week: Why This Week Matters

This Sunday, we step into one of the most meaningful weeks of the entire Christian year—Holy Week.

It begins with celebration. As we wave palm branches and sing “Hosanna,” we remember Jesus entering Jerusalem as King. But as the week unfolds, the tone shifts. Joy gives way to tension. Celebration turns to sacrifice. And by the end of the week, we find ourselves standing at the foot of the cross… and then, by God’s grace, at the empty tomb.

Holy Week invites us not just to remember these events, but to enter into them—to walk with Jesus through the final days of His earthly ministry and to rediscover the heart of the Gospel.

Why Does Holy Week Move Each Year?

You may notice that Holy Week doesn’t fall on the same dates every year. That’s because it follows the timing of Easter, which is set as the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox.

This means Holy Week is tied not just to our calendar, but to creation itself—sun and moon marking time. There’s something fitting about that. The death and resurrection of Jesus are not just historical events; they are cosmic in significance. All of creation, in a sense, keeps time with the story of redemption.

Walking Through the Week

Each day of Holy Week helps us see more clearly who Jesus is and what He has done.

Palm Sunday
Jesus enters Jerusalem as King (Matthew 21). The crowds cry “Hosanna!”—“Save us!”—though they do not yet understand the kind of salvation He brings.

Monday–Wednesday
Jesus teaches in the temple, confronts hypocrisy, and prepares His disciples. These are days of growing tension as opposition builds.

Maundy Thursday
Jesus shares the Last Supper with His disciples, instituting Communion (Luke 22). He washes their feet, showing that His kingdom is marked by humble, sacrificial love.

Good Friday
Jesus is crucified (John 19). The sinless Son of God gives His life for the sins of the world. What looks like defeat is actually the decisive victory of God’s love and justice.

Holy Saturday
A quiet, often overlooked day. Jesus lies in the tomb. It is a day of waiting, grief, and silence—a reminder that God is still at work even when we cannot see it.

Easter Sunday
The tomb is empty (Luke 24). Jesus is risen! Death is defeated, sin is conquered, and new life is available to all who trust in Him.

Why It Matters for Us

Holy Week is not just something we observe—it is something that shapes us.

We are Rooted
Holy Week roots us again in the truth of the Gospel. We are reminded that our hope is not in ourselves, but in Christ—crucified and risen. Like a tree planted by living water, we are grounded in what God has done for us.

We are Growing
As we walk through the week, we are invited to examine our hearts. Where do we resist Jesus? Where do we need His grace? Holy Week calls us to deeper repentance, deeper trust, and deeper obedience.

We are Fruitful
The message of Holy Week is too good to keep to ourselves. The cross and the empty tomb compel us outward. As we experience the love of Christ, we are sent to share and spread that hope to others.

An Invitation

In a busy world, it can be easy to rush from Palm Sunday to Easter without slowing down to take in the full story. But there is something powerful about walking through the whole week—letting each day do its work in us.

So this year, don’t just celebrate Easter.
Enter the journey.
Come, see, remember, and respond.

Because what happened during this week changes everything.