Holy Week Revisited - by Dave Monck

Each year, Christians all over the world embrace Lent, a time of preparation for the death and resurrection of Jesus. There is build up and anticipation which concludes in Holy week, the week building up to Easter Day. Most churches, and ours is no different - are full of extra services and events. Holy week, Good Friday and ultimately Resurrection Sunday give us an invitation to retell, remember and relive this culmination of the life and ministry of Jesus on earth.

Every time we celebrate communion, we are remembering the story of Jesus. But Holy Week invites us to look more deeply, for our gaze to linger for longer on a story that can become so familiar that we lose the sense of awe, shock, joy, fear, terror and hope it can evoke. Each story between Palm Sunday and Easter day tells the story of Jesus and reminds us of our deep need for God and his deep love and longing for us. 

The story of Jesus during Holy Week invites us in, to be participants rather than spectators, to walk with Jesus as a disciple rather than reading about Jesus and his followers. One of the communion liturgies starts with the phrase 'This is His story' and changes to become 'This is our story'. And this is the invitation we are given each time we journey through Holy week - to allow this story of what happened to Jesus to become our story.

It might be we find ourselves in the temple as Jesus turned over tables, or experience the service of Jesus as he washes our feet, or sharing in the Passover as Jesus took familiar words and gave them new meaning. We might recognise ourselves falling asleep in the garden, or feel the distress as Jesus is betrayed or the sense of failure when Peter denies knowing Jesus.

We might feel Jesus' pain as he's treated unjustly at the hands of Pilate, beaten by the soldiers or rejected by the crowds. With Jesus on the cross, we might share in his suffering or recognise where we've caused suffering, or know the tears of grief in those looking on. It may be the silence of Saturday we may feel a sense of confidence as we recall Jesus' words, or loneliness and fear in isolation. Or maybe we find ourselves in disbelief and joy at the empty tomb or the encounter in the garden.

We're invited into the story of Jesus. We might identify with crowds looking on, or particular people within the story, even Jesus himself. We may sense injustice, powerlessness, sacrifice, hope, resilience or obedience.

As I come to Holy Week this year, I'm determined not to be so busy, so full, so distracted that my experience of Holy Week is reduced to Jesus riding on a donkey into Jerusalem and then suddenly rising from the dead a week later. I plan to read through the story, slowly and deliberately, seeking to engage afresh with both the detail and the big picture. I want to be fully alert to what God might whisper to me as I journey through the story. I want to meet with Jesus in each story on each day and be reminded of the depth and breadth and height and width of the love he has for me. I want my encounter with Jesus in the Easter story to impact me in such a way that it affects how I engage with everyone I meet. I want to come to the end of Holy week, to Easter Day and be surprised and thrilled, and relieved and thankful that Jesus did rise from the dead, and he is risen.

I plan to read through Matthew's story of Holy Week, starting with Matthew 21 on Palm Sunday. I'd love you to join me and I'd love to hear the stories of where you've encountered Jesus in the story.