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Welcome to Holy Week! Congratulations on making it this far in The Lent Encounter. All of the preparation, the prayer and the reflection has led to this. This week we recall the extraordinary final week of Jesus’ life on earth, following his arrival in Jerusalem right up to his death and resurrection.
Together with Christmas, the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus marks the focal point of the Christian year and gets to the very heart of the Christian faith itself. James Howard-Smith, from Bible Society’s Supporter Relations team, and Michael Pfundner, from the Publishing team, will guide us through the wonders of this Holy Week; if you’ve come this far on the journey, you’ll be well prepared.
Read today's devotional. Or click the play button to listen.
When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday, the people there were recalling an astonishing incident where religion became real. They were gathering to celebrate Passover, which was extremely important to them because it was the story of God rescuing them from slavery. And by celebrating that, they weren’t just remembering what had happened over a thousand years ago, which is probably how a cynic would see it. All the complicated rituals they went through were an expression of their belief that they were God’s people, part of God’s plan, and that the plan was active – even if, year after year, it didn’t seem very active.
Out here on the road (verse 9) they’re singing from Psalm 118, the climax of the Hallel Psalms, sung at the Jerusalem festivals, and they’re welcoming pilgrims into the city. One of the pilgrims stands out. This is someone who has a very impressive reputation, and he’s riding a donkey. To us that means he’s on a seaside holiday, but to the ancient Israelites, he looks like a king. So they realise – probably quite gradually – that this isn’t a normal Passover. Something massive is happening. This old hymn they’re singing ritualistically (and joyfully) is actually about this man. When they say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,’ they’re making a messianic announcement – not just religiously but practically. Here is someone coming to Jerusalem in the name of the Lord in a way that nobody ever has before. Something is about to happen.
This reflection was written by James Howard-Smith, from the Supporter Relations team at Bible Society.
If you have two minutes: Listen to the audio reflection and ponder how it might be relevant in your life.
If you have up to ten minutes: Read the Bible passage and listen to the audio reflection; you might want to keep a small journal, or note on your phone, to jot down words and phrases that jump out at you. Finish with a brief prayer to put what you have read and heard into practice.
What if I miss a day(s)?: Don’t worry, life happens! Just pick up the devotional again on the current day, and, if you wish, you can use the space for reflection on Sundays to listen to those reflections you may have missed.
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