Breaking Down Holy Week

A lot can happen in a week. This week was a remembrance of the most monumental occasion in history. Holy Week tugs on my heart more and more every year. I start feeling extra convicted and find myself more lost in thought about what Christianity and the sacrifice Jesus made truly mean. I ponder how it must have felt when Jesus died, and the absolute joy when He rose again. I think about Mary, Jesus’ mother, having to watch her baby boy. He was saving her soul while breaking her heart. I think about the women who were able to see the empty tomb of their savior. The confusion, fear, optimism, and hope they must have been feeling. This week is beautiful, it’s sad, it’s hopeful, and it is life-giving.

Palm Sunday

Without getting into the specifics of the Davidic Covenant, if you haven’t read the Old Testament, Jesus fulfills the covenant by being the last descendant of David and being seated permanently on the throne of Heaven. Palm Sunday is almost a coronation for Jesus and is similar to King Solomon's (the heir of his father, King David) coronation. “And King David said, ‘Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah... have Solomon ride on my own mule... and anoint him king over Israel.’”— 1 Kings 1:32–35. In a much more profound way, Jesus triumphantly enters Jerusalem on a never-before-ridden donkey. People laid out and held up palm branches which symbolize many things: victory, a fulfillment of prophecy, and a traditional Jewish form of worship. The prophecy fulfilled by Jesus entering Jerusalem this way is written in Zechariah 9:9 "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, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." Jesus rode into Jerusalem not on a warhorse, but a donkey. Not for condemnation, but for deliverance. For His death, but our life. This prophecy was written approximately 500 B.C. - around 500 years before it played out. Then, the crowd that welcomed Jesus shouted “Hosanna!” a beautiful way to honor our King. Hosanna means “save us now.” They were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” — Matthew 21:9. They acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah and the One who came to save them.

Holy Monday

Many people relate Holy Monday to a day of cleansing. It could be a beautiful tribute to Jesus to take inventory of the things in and around you that cause you to slip into sin. Examples of this include throwing away alcohol if you struggle with drunkenness or deleting Instagram if you find yourself lost in lust. We might think about doing this because it relates to the actions of Jesus on this day. Picture this, on your way into the temple thousands of years ago, you get stopped by tons of vendors trying to sell you things in the name of worship. Jesus saw all of that going on in the temple, the house of the Lord, and was righteously angered by it. He began to flip over tables to cleanse the temple of greed. “It is written, my house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers” — Matthew 21:13

Holy Tuesday

Holy Tuesday is a day to remember Jesus’ wise teachings and His authority in Heaven and on Earth. During the time of Jesus, the religious leaders didn’t believe in Jesus’ title as the Messiah, and ultimately, their hard hearts and pride led to His crucifixion. Holy Tuesday reminds us that we all should stay open-minded to Biblical truth and loving conviction. The chief priests and elders were in the temple courts and asked Jesus about His authority to preach and heal. Jesus answered their question with another question that Jesus knew they could not answer: Matthew 21:23-27. Jesus also taught through a parable that can be summarized by a man who rents a vineyard to some tenants. He sends workers to collect fruit at harvest time. One by one, the tenants kill and beat the workers until the owner says he will send his son. Surely, the tenants kill him thinking they can take the son's inheritance. But the owner comes to the tenants, kills them, and gives the vineyard to others. Luke 20:9-18. This parable is connected to Psalm 118:22, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” The parable signifies how the religious leaders rejected messengers who came before the Messiah and are now rejecting the Son of God Himself. Jesus is the cornerstone we need to build our lives on.

Holy Wednesday

Holy Wednesday is also sometimes called Spy Wednesday. This is the day Judas agrees to give up Jesus and sets the betrayal in motion. It is interesting to ponder whether Judas is in Heaven or Hades. Ultimately, Judas was under God’s control to do necessary actions leading to the death and resurrection. God’s grace is ungraspable to the human mind, so you never really know. “Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve (disciples). Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.” — Luke 22:3-6

Maundy Thursday

Thursday is an important day in history, it brought us communion, a new covenant, and eternal wisdom. Jesus and His disciples were eating a Passover meal, famously known as The Last Supper. This meal is emotional as it's the last intentional time with His disciples until He rises again. He teaches them a lot about wisdom and service. Maundy comes from a Latin term, mandatum, meaning command or commandment. Jesus said “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”— John 13:34. Jesus showed His love for His disciples by washing their feet. This sounds nasty, but, all in all, it was quite generous. In those days, it was a faux pas for someone of higher status to wash someone of lower status’ feet. Plus think about it, Jesus is the King of kings, the Highest of the high. This demonstration of service, along with Jesus' humble upbringing shows us how humility and service often go hand in hand. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” —John 13:13-16. Jesus also teaches His disciples on this night about the Holy Spirit and how it’ll advocate for all believers once He’s gone and will live in each of us. He talks about how He is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus is the True Vine and we must remain with Him to bear fruit. John:13-17.

Good Friday

In almost every way, Good Friday seems like anything but good. Jesus suffered unthinkably and selflessly on Good Friday. His every step, every painful breath, He kept going for me and for you and for the whole world to have the chance to share in His glory. The only thing good about Good Friday is Jesus. Jesus is so, so good to us. After Jesus was arrested, he was brought before a crowd with another prisoner, named Barabbas, who was a violent criminal. In a ceremony where civilians got a choice of one prisoner to set free, the people chose the criminal Barabbas over the innocent Savior who had done nothing but speak life, heal people, and serve people. Matthew 27:11-26. After getting mocked, beaten, tortured, and battered, Jesus walked His cross to the place where they were crucifying Him. “It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews” —Mark 15:25-26. “Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” —John 19:28-30. It is finished. Jesus died so we could live. With His death, came the destruction of the temple, which signified that we no longer needed to have a place of worship. We became a vessel of worship, and God is with us wherever we go. This day is prophesied: "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” —Isaiah 53:5

Holy Saturday

This is a day I am thankful for never having to experience. The silence, waiting, mourning, Jesus’ descent into the dead, and the fear. Even though Jesus said He was coming back, we are all human, and we would all be undoubtedly worried. “As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.” —Matthew 27:57-61. “They went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.” – Matthew 27:66.

Easter Sunday

Hallelujah! Sunday came, and Jesus was resurrected from the dead! Jesus lives in us forever. Sin and death are defeated forever. Hope is restored forever. Mary Magdelene and the other Mary went to see the tomb of Jesus and were, as I can imagine, pretty stoked to hear this from an angel in an empty grave: “The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” —Matthew 28:5-7. Then, they saw Jesus, and He told them the same thing. “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” —Matthew 28:18-20

Surely, He is with us always, to the very end of the age. Thank you, Jesus. And thank you is not enough.

Sacrificial Love

As we start the Lent season, preparing our hearts for Easter, we get the opportunity to sacrifice something for Jesus. Not that anything we ever do could make us more or less deserving of what He did for us. However, this season is still a blessing to walk in His footsteps and pick up our crosses daily. In Matthew 16:24, we read, “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

This is a season of denying ourselves of something, asking Him for help through the struggle of giving it up, and ultimately following Him. The sacrifice Jesus made for us was more than Him on the cross. He also walked this earth constantly misunderstood, being mocked, being betrayed, showing us what the truest and purest love looks like when nobody could ever return the favor. Jesus was and is God, and as God incarnate, He had understanding and knowledge about things that nobody He was around could even fathom. He had a love that nobody could comprehend. I imagine that as being incredibly lonely. As believers, we are called to be different, which can sometimes bring similar feelings of loneliness. Lent is a chance for us to experience Jesus' sacrificial love by offering some in return. Maybe we will give up something that nobody understands how we can live without it. Maybe we could give up jealousy, anger, or impulsivity. Our sacrifices are meant to be meaningful during this time and draw us closer to Jesus.

In the previously mentioned scripture, Jesus goes on to explain how sacrifice on earth is actually what we need to do to gain the kingdom of heaven. We have to constantly deprive our flesh, and constantly ignore our pride, lust, selfishness, revenge, and every other human experience that does not glorify God. Life on earth is so simple but so difficult. As believers, we know that nothing is more important than God. But, as humans, we feel so many worries and earthly desires. Jesus knows this and understands the conundrum. He came to earth and experienced it for Himself in the most humble way possible. I hope you can make a sacrifice to God for the next forty days and reflect on all of the sacrifices He made out of His ginormous love for you. Let's pick up our crosses together and walk by faith.

What Seed Are You?

In the New Testament, we see parables used in many instances. Jesus spoke parables for many reasons. For example, he challenged his disciples and those who listened to him, offered spiritual truths to believers who could discern their meaning, and confused non-believers. It also helped him relate the good news of the kingdom to everyday life. One parable in particular is the parable of the sower, found in Matthew chapter 13.

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no roots. Other seeds fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

From a non-believer standpoint, Jesus spoke about farming or growing plants. The wisdom he offers people who open their hearts and minds to receive is incredible. To this day, Jesus is the best teacher, not only for his wise parables but also for his undying faithfulness to us. Don’t worry if you don’t understand the parable of the sower at first glance, the disciples also had to ask Jesus what it meant.

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.”

In summary, four types of people receive the messages of the kingdom. This also relates to why he used parables in the first place and what it means to plant a seed in someone. Those who could not understand what he was saying would be easily tempted by the devil and not walk righteously. Others believe what is spoken about the kingdom but are still easily tempted after forgetting and not rooting their lives in faith. Then people who believe in the truth and understand it drown it out with worries of millions of other things. Finally, people who wholeheartedly hear and understand the truth. They walk and crave righteousness and they spread the truth to multiply the kingdom.

I have personally experienced every type of seed that Jesus mentions. Early on in my life, I’d go to church not understanding the depth of how life-changing being in a relationship with Jesus would be. Then some time later, I went to a Bible camp and loved what I learned but would short-term devote myself to Christ. Growing up and still believing in God but sinfully thinking I had to manage all of these stressors by myself. I couldn’t see how much bigger God was than my problems so 100% of the time, my problems choked out my faith. FINALLY, here I am, completely devoted to Jesus, challenging myself to embody him, walk in his ways, and share the good news of his sacrifices for us.

This parable isn’t necessarily about a faith life-cycle, but I couldn’t help but relate it to my own journey as each type of seed. I pray that anybody who reads this can find themselves to be the seed that falls on good soil. If you’re not there yet, that doesn’t mean it’s hopeless. I urge you to re-read the parable from the perspective of evaluating what type of seed you are. This will help you see what areas in your life you might need to ask God to help you work on.

Humbling Ourselves

Shy acceptances of awards and quiet remarks to praise are what I used to think it meant to be humble. Since following Jesus, reading the Bible, and seeking external sources, I have found that humility is much more than that. To be humble is to be gracious. To be humble is to admit when you are wrong. To be humble is to be kind to those who do not like you. This topic has been on my mind for the last few days, growing from the idea that loving Jesus and loving God can sometimes add to your pride. If we aren’t in awe of how much our creator loves us, we might become complacent in our relationship with Him. I’ve seen this personally when I’ve had the ignorance of thinking that only my love matters. This led to less truth, less confession, and less fulfillment. There are many instances throughout the Bible where this is seen, too.

One, in particular, is in the Book of Judges. Joshua died after leading the Israelites into the promised land. Before Joshua passed, he renewed the covenant God made between Moses and the Israelites and inspired them by example, saying, “… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). It was essential for the Israelites to obey the Lord and not turn to other gods. Obeying this covenant seems simple enough but just in the first five chapters of Judges, Israel broke it three times. “The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.” (Judges 2:11, 3:7, 3:12, 4:1). The Lord was so angry when the Israelites worshipped other gods He turned His back on them each time.

The interesting thing about these chapters is that they span over 160 years- this is generations of Israelites breaking their covenant with God. The Israelites displayed overwhelming humility each time they betrayed their covenant. They had to stand before God in all of their sins and sincerely repent. God’s love for us is so wonderful that in every display of their repentance, He saves the Israelites repeatedly and even blesses them with years of rest, peace, and no war. Humility here is that they felt God’s anger, knew they needed Him, and admitted they were wrong to worship other gods.

Imagine if you were working at your job and prioritized a side gig during business hours over and over again. Not only would you be fired, but your repentance would likely be laughed at and ridiculed. God did not laugh at the Israelites but rather, gave them peace and rest. This is the truth about being humble: God listens to your remorse, God sees your heart, and God loves you even when you don’t deserve it.

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