Holy Week | A 5-Day Devotional Journey to the Cross

Holy Week

 

 

I cannot believe how quickly Lent has gone by, because back in February contemplating the 40-day journey of self-denial and surrender felt like an eternity. I don’t know how you mark Lent, but I always try to move low and slow,  making space to see and hear what God is doing and saying. So, here we are getting ready to celebrate Palm Sunday! With Easter just over a week away, I thought I’d do something a little different. I’ve prepared a 5-day Holy Week Devotional complete with daily readings, a devotional thought, and reflection questions. 

It’s been a long complicated year, navigating through this global health crisis. When I think about how we had to shift and adapt everything last year, it still astounds me. No in-person gatherings and no assurances about anything; it was scary and it was hard. No one knew what this journey was going to be like, but Jesus did. I don’t know about you, but I am so thankful for Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross. Because of His death and resurrection, you and I can have intimate access to the Father. That promise of provision and presence has been a lifeline during the events of this unprecedented year. 

My prayer is that as we begin the journey of this next week, remembering all the events leading to Christ’s crucifixion, that we allow the Spirit of God to lead us into deeper places of healing and wholeness. We celebrate Resurrection Day because is the greatest day in history, may we continue to cultivate lives that are rooted in that amazing grace. 

 

Holy Week Day One | Cleansing the Table

Read: Matthew 21:12-17

The religious leaders were blinded by fear and stuck in unbelief, causing them to pursue control. That’s what fear does, it blocks our vision of God and drives us to set ourselves in places of control. The whole reason Jesus came down from Heaven was to reveal the Father and lead us back into a relationship with Him.

Jesus’ life and ministry were always about pointing to the greatness of God. So, when He arrived in Jerusalem and received such an overwhelming welcome, every part of the procession lined up with what the Prophets had spoken. Still, the religious leaders could not see and did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah because of their offended and jealous hearts. 

When Jesus entered the Temple, He cleared and chased out the money changers, cleansing the house of His Father. This physical act of cleaning the house of God created space for people to see and hear the truth. The scriptures tell us that Jesus then performed healing miracles over the blind and the lame, while the people proclaimed and declared the greatness of God. 

The religious leaders were so stuck in unbelief that they missed the very thing they had given their lives to see. They were so afraid of offending God, that they were never able to taste of see of His goodness. The religious spirit of that day is still alive today. In fact, we all have to guard against the preconceived ideas birthed out of fear and unbelief, lest we miss glorious things that God wants to reveal.

Reflection

On this first day of Holy Week, consider this idea of cleansing the temple. Are there areas of unbelief and fear that blind you to the active work of Jesus in your life and the world around you? What ideas need to be surrendered so that you can step forward in faith?

Holy Week Day Two | Jesus predicts His death

Read: Matthew 26:1-5 

There are two full chapters immediately preceding this passage, where Jesus speaks about His second coming. Two. Full. Chapters. And then he comes right out and says, “As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” (Matthew 26:2)  

I cannot imagine what that must have been like for him in the flesh. These twelve men, whom he’d lived and walked with for three years, still did not grasp the fullness of what was about to happen, even when Jesus came out and said it plain and clear. These five little verses don’t paint a full picture of how it all went down, but we sure do see how aggressive the enemy was at play. 

The religious leaders, blinded by their unbelief, plotted and manipulated how they could secretly capture Jesus and get rid of him. And the disciples?  They were stuck in their preconceived ideas of what they thought the Messiah was going to do. All of them stuck by the limitations of human comprehension.

Reflection:

On this second day of the Holy Week Journey to the Cross, take time to contemplate what you believe about Jesus. Who do you say He is? If Jesus is Savior, what does that mean for your life right now? If Jesus’s goal was to lead the way back to the Father, then what do you need to let go of to experience the more of God?

Holy Week Day Three | The anointing of Jesus and Judas arranges his betrayal

Read: Matthew 26:6-16

Worship is costly and the offering is often misunderstood and judged by others. Some things feel easier to give than others, but truly the most beautiful offerings are the ones that cost us. Why? A pure sacrifice given to God attracts His presence like no other thing. Pure, honest offerings require surrender which is the ultimate demonstration of honor. So, to be clear, we aren’t talking about what we give, but rather why we give it.

Extravagant worship looks wasteful, which is why it is often so offensive to others. A costly offering given in sacrificial surrender comes from a heart yielded to the greatness of God. It trusts and then obeys. 

The woman came and sat at the feet of Jesus, but she didn’t come empty handed. No, she came with the only thing of worth she had, an alabaster jar of expensive perfume. She broke the jar and poured the perfume over Jesus, filling the house with a fragrant smell. 

Judas was appalled. While Matthew’s account doesn’t specifically point out Judas, the other Gospels do. He was the money keeper. He knew the worth of the perfume and knew what the money could do, which might sound prudent to those who work hard on stewardship. But, Judas was offended because he was busy calculating his own personal loss. 

Jealousy and greed lead to some pretty dark places. Blinded by his own sin rooted in fear and unbelief, Judas secretly met with the religious leaders. Allowing offense and greed to lead, he betrayed Jesus and sold him out for thirty pieces of silver. I wonder if that price was anywhere near the cost of the perfume?  

Reflection:

On this third day of Holy Week, think about Jesus’s own offering on the cross was costly. We often see that sacrifice in light of how it affects us, but Jesus’s obedience unto death, was a costly offering to God. What does extravagant wasteful worship look like for you? Can you think of a time you were offended by the expression or offering of worship? What was it that was offensive? How do you cultivate a lifestyle of worship that is pure and costly?

Holy Week Day Four | Foot washing & Holy Communion 

Read: Matthew 26:17-30

This is a loaded passage. The grace and humility by which Jesus handled himself through this last supper is nothing short of miraculous. I mean, how does one break bread with a person he knows has betrayed him? Could you? 

After three years of intense and intimate time together, it all comes down to this last night around the table. Jesus knew what was coming, yet He remained present and continued to serve and love these men. I wonder if the inner anxiety brewing within is what made Jesus tell Judas to just get on with it, but what is astounding to me is how oblivious the rest of the disciples were. I suspect they were still in denial, blocked by ideas of another way. Still, Jesus washed their feet, honoring them with humility and grace. They celebrated Passover together one last time, a night of sweet communion, and then they worshiped.

Reflection:

On this fourth day of Holy Week, contemplate what sweet communion with Jesus could look like in your life. What lies hold you captive from the freedom of truth that Jesus is speaking? Are there things right now that you are trusting God for? What if they don’t come the way you expect? Consider what you might you be missing because you a fixed on a certain method over the final result. How might you reconcile that with Jesus today?

Good Friday: The Cross

Read Matthew 26:36 – 27:61

Today is just about walking through the events leading to Christ’s crucifixion. Are you familiar with the details, or is this new to you this year? Either way, we never plumb the depths of God’s story, there is always something new to see and learn. 

What part of the story created a stirring in your heart? Go back to that part and read it again, but out loud this time. As you read, imagine you are in the story, that you are experiencing the events.

What do you see?

Think about the sounds. What do you hear? Describe the sounds in the atmosphere, the crowds, etc.

What do you suppose it smelled like? Think about the kind of smells you might encounter?

Describe the emotions that stir as you walk through this journey with Jesus.

What are the tangible objects before you? Can you touch them?

Can you see the face of Jesus? 

As you walk sit with this part of the story what do you hear Jesus saying to you? 

Pray:

Lord Jesus, open the eyes of my heart to see all that you have done. Not just that by your grace you have saved me, but that you are a living demonstration of what it means to be surrendered to God. You said, anyone who follows you must take up their cross and whoever loses their life for your sake will find it. May I learn to accept the love and will of God with every cross I bear?

Thank you, Jesus, for your obedience, for extravagant grace that not only saves me but leads me to become the person God created me to be. Help me to bear your grace image as I walk in obedience following your example in suffering and surrender.

If you liked this devotional, you should check out my weekly devotional, called The Grace Notes!

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