Seven Days

In this message, we are exploring the last 7 days of the life of Jesus on Earth leading up to Easter/Resurrection Sunday. Jesus arrived in Jerusalem for Passover amidst celebrations and joy. He was hailed by the crowd and followers as their Savior, the new Messiah, and the Son of God. The adoration changed a few days later. Within those tumultuous 7 days, Jesus was abandoned by His friends, arrested, envied by authorities playing political games, tortured by police, tried in a rigged and bogus trial, and then put to death on a cross, in the cruelest, humiliating, and painful way possible. During Holy Week, Jesus was buried by his grief-stricken friends and followers, and then He was seen again by those same people as He overcame death to live forever. This account is documented not only in the Bible but also in the historical secular writings of those days. These 7 days changed the world and our lives forever. This week is the climax of history. Christians celebrate Holy Week every year. How can we recapture the meaning of Holy Week in a fresh way even though it feels so familiar to us? In recent weeks, we have been using the Chosen media series to see Jesus with fresh eyes, especially His humanity, divinity, humor, heart, and compassion for God’s beloved chosen people. As we journey through these 7 days, the holiest week of the Christian year, we consider what was happening for Jesus and what that means for us.