However your church celebrates it, Holy Week is the most important date in the church calendar—a time to remember Jesus expressing his love for us and saving us.
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What Is Holy Week?
Holy week starts on the evening of Palm Sunday, forty days after Lent. Holy Week starts on the last week of Lent, on Palm Sunday. Christians observe Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy Wednesday/Spy Wednesday, Holy Thursday/Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Holy Week ends on Easter Sunday (also called Resurrection Sunday).
Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday marks Christ’s triumphant return to Jerusalem. Matthew 21:9 sums up his reception: “And the multitudes that went before, and that followed cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”
During his time in Jerusalem, Jesus also cursed a fig tree and did a lot of teaching. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all have accounts of these events, although there may be some variations on when things occurred, such as the cursing of the fig tree. Some accounts give the cursing on Holy Monday or Holy Tuesday.
Holy Wednesday or Spy Wednesday focuses on Judas’s plot to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:14-25). The disciples knew it was dangerous for Jesus to return to Jerusalem (John 11:8). Jesus knew of the dangers as well. However, his purpose, to fulfill the prophecies and save humanity, hung in the balance.
If you read the gospels, you will see Jesus did even more teaching. However, the Pharisees, Herodians, and other religious leaders constantly sought to entrap Jesus (Matthew 22-25). Jesus knew his purpose. He did not come to earth to stay. So, these religious leaders and others’ reactions were part of the plan to set Jesus up for the crucifixion. We should be encouraged when people come against us. Jesus was challenged for being the Son of God, and many could not stand the fact that He continued to say who He was or that He passed judgment on them.
Maundy Thursday celebrates the last supper (read Luke 22:17-20). Here you have the model for the Holy Communion. Jesus speaks of his betrayal and how Peter would deny him three times.
Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of our Lord. This is a high holy day. Many businesses have made this an official holiday and allow their workers to be off. There are Good Friday services throughout the world. Some churches have theatrical celebrations on this day and Easter. Celebrations are different throughout the world. Many major motion pictures depict the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Matthew 27:57-66 speaks of the burial of Jesus Christ on Friday evening. A man named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus, went and begged for his body. Joseph wrapped Jesus’s body in a clean linen cloth. He laid our Lord’s body in his own new tomb. He rolled a great stone to the door and left.
Holy Saturday is significant because Jesus is still in the borrowed tomb. This day is also referred to as Black Saturday. On this day, chief priests and Pharisees came to Pilate. They told him that they remembered Jesus saying that he would arise again after three days. They wanted to ensure that this would not happen (Matthew 27:62-66). They ensured that the grave was secure and that no man could remove the stone.
Nevertheless, Jesus arose as planned on Easter Sunday. It is one of the High Holiest days in Christendom. This holiday is commemorated around the world in all manners of Christian denominations. Jesus’ work on this earth was finished after the crucifixion, and he ascended to heaven to be seated on the right hand of God.
How Do Eastern Churches Celebrate Holy Week?
Eastern churches include Eastern Catholic, Eastern Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox churches. Because many Greek Orthodox Churches follow the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar, their holy week will occur on a different date. Sometimes their Easter Sunday date is called Greek Easter.
Another unusual Eastern church feature is that they observe Lazarus Saturday before Palm Sunday. Lazarus Saturday commemorates when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (refer to John 11 for the complete story). Lazarus lived in the town of Bethany and was the brother of Mary and Martha. You may recall that Mary anointed Jesus with a pound of an expensive ointment called spikenard and wiped his feet with her hair (John 12). The sisters sent word to Jesus to let him know that their brother was sick unto death. After Jesus heard the news, he remained where he was for two days and then went to Bethany to raize Lazarus from his tomb.
On Palm Sunday, the Lord Jesus makes his entry into Jerusalem. His re-entry into Jerusalem fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy of Zechariah 9:9: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass” (KJV).
When the people heard that Jesus was coming, they took branches of palm trees and went to meet him. They cried, “Hosanna: Bless is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. The Lord found a young ass and sat thereon according to prophecy” (John 12:12-14 KJV). This triumphal entry is commemorated on Palm Sunday.
Thus, the passion of Christ’s week begins. Great and Holy Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Holy Friday, and Holy Saturday are all observed. Eastern churches follow a strict fast during Holy Week, discouraging meat and dairy products and not allowing alcoholic beverages.
How Do Western Churches Celebrate Holy Week?
Western churches include Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Anglican, and Christianity. Most of the days of Holy Week are consistent for both Eastern and Western churches. As noted earlier, Western churches will celebrate Holy Week on a slightly different schedule than some Eastern churches, since they follow the Gregorian instead of the Julian calendar.
Many Western churches distribute blessed palm branches to their congregants. The churches also have ceremonies to coincide with Palm Sunday: Most ministers preach about Jesus returning to Jerusalem and the temple’s purification, as revealed in Matthew 21. On Holy Tuesday, some churches focus on Jesus’ prediction of his own death.
In the Roman Catholic Church, they celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper during the evening of Maundy Thursday. Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, and Methodists observe Triduum, a three-day prayer period starting Maundy Thursday and ending Holy Saturday. Some churches have services to depict the last seven spoken words of Jesus Christ. There are Easter vigils (sometimes part of Triduum, sometimes not) on Holy Saturday.
On Easter Sunday, fasting ends, and Easter services abound worldwide. Children have Easter speeches. Even the world has joined in on Easter—a lot of commercialism abounds, but the season’s reason is still the same. It commemorates the shed blood of Jesus Christ for humanity.
When Is Holy Week in 2022?
For Western churches, Holy Week is April 10-17, 2022. For Eastern churches, Holy Week is April 17-24, 2022.
After the birth of Jesus Christ, Holy Week is the most significant set of occurrences for the Christian faith. After the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, God had a plan to restore man to him. After Jesus died, humanity was no longer required to sacrifice animals. Without Jesus dying on the cross, humanity would be lost. It was a great sacrifice for God to send His Son Jesus, to become sin for us on the cross so that our sins would be forgiven.
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Learn more about the meaning and significance behind the Easter holiday and Holy Week celebrations:
What is Lent? and When Does Lent Start?
What is Ash Wednesday? and When is Ash Wednesday?
What is Palm Sunday?
What is Maundy Thursday?
What is Good Friday? and When is Good Friday?
What is Holy Saturday?
What is Easter? and When is Easter Sunday?
Easter Bible Verses
The Resurrection of Jesus
Easter Prayers
