Holy Week - Letter From Pastor Evan
Starting on Sunday, we move in to celebrating Holy Week, where we remember Jesus’ journey to fulfill what He came to do in His earthly ministry. His work on the cross is the focal point of the week as we remember how Christ willingly exchanged His life for ours, dying in our place as a substitution for the penalty of our sin that we deserved! And on Easter Sunday, the resurrection testifies that Jesus has won the victory over sin, death and hell, and is able to grant eternal life to all who would trust in Him for salvation! What an incredible week to remember!
We call this week “Holy” week because it is a week that is just that…Holy. The word “holy” means to be set apart for God’s purposes and that week in the spring of 30 A.D. was certainly set aside for His purposes! Through the events of that week we find life!
As we live our lives, though, it is so easy to get trapped in our routines and treat each week as though they are all the same. But as we move into Holy Week, to treat this as “any old week” is a missed opportunity! While Holy Week gets its name because God set it aside as holy, there is incredible blessing for us when we set it aside as holy and dedicate it to God for His purposes! God blesses us as we slow down and remember our need for a Savior and as we consider Jesus’ sacrifice for us. As we take extra time to hear His word and hear again of His great love, He nourishes our souls!
So this week, we have a couple opportunities to set this week aside for God to speak to us.
On Tuesday, March 30th at 7pm, we have the opportunity to hear Padam and Prabina Subedi, missionaries to Nepal, share about their work in helping people to memorize Scripture, particularly the Gospels, so that they can share the story of Jesus.
On Thursday, April 1st at 7pm, we will be joining Bethany to celebrate Maundy Thursday, which commemorates the Last Supper the night Jesus was betrayed, by receiving communion together.
On Friday, April 2nd at 7:30pm, we will be presenting the Tenebrae, a series of readings from Scripture that reminds us of the great sacrifice made on our behalf by the Son - to redeem us from the cost of our sin and buy us back into His family.
On Sunday April 4th at 9:30am, we will celebrate the Resurrection of Christ at our Easter Service.
I’d like to encourage you to take part in these but also to read Mark chapters 11-16 throughout the week to hear again what Christ has done for us and as we’re blessed by His finished work on the cross! God’s blessings on you as you set this week aside as holy, set apart for God!
In Christ,
Pastor Evan