Holy Week

  One of the biggest weeks in our entire Christian existence is right now as we embark on Holy Week. The week of the Last Supper, arrest, betrayal, Cross, and ultimately Jesus triumphantly rises from the dead, but this week can easily lose its meaning and we can become very calloused toward Holy week, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. This entry is designed to allow us to not lose focus and passion during this incredible, life-changing experience. Let's dive a little deeper and rediscover what is going on during Holy Week.
  One of the things that most astonishes me about Holy Week is that Jesus was never shy about His death and resurrection. When He was arrested in the Garden not one time did Jesus yell, "Surprise! Oh wow! I didn't see this one coming." In fact, almost the exact opposite occurs. Christ almost from the beginning of his ministry tells his disciples that the time is coming when He will suffer and die. When that time did come all of His disciples left the scene. What this shows us is something very interesting. The disciples by abandoning Jesus after His arrest, trial, punishment, and eventually crucifixion had non-verbally communicated that Jesus had failed. Jesus hadn't delivered them the way they expected, in fact on Good Friday the disciples believed that Jesus had done the exact opposite, He had failed, because instead of delivering them. He was being crucified on a Cross. To give the disciples credit, and I don't think we do this enough. They didn't fully know the end of the story. The disciples weren't aware that death would not have the last word. It wasn't until they Jesus that things changed for them.  So, I hope we understand that living on this of history, we do have the privilege of seeing that Jesus though killed on Friday does come back on Sunday. I hope we remember that the first Good Friday was anything but good for those who followed Jesus.
  Holy Week shows us many things. It really does. It shows us that death is not as strong as life, and it shows us just how fickle human beings can be. But, one of the main things that Holy Week shows us is how God feels about us. If God just liked (likes) us Holy week would have never happened. If God just loves us, then Holy Week would have never happened. God is 100%, over the top, madly in LOVE with us! God has told us that in His word, communicated it through the teachings of Jesus, but the Cross and the Resurrection show it so clearly how God feels about you. God loves you so MUCH, because that should have been you in Jesus' place. So, whenever you're down or feeling a little blue, look back to the events of Holy Week and understand that God is 100% crazy about you.