A
vast majority of Christians across the world refer to the week that begins with
Palm Sunday and ends with Easter Sunday, as “Holy Week”. It is a godly pilgrimage
that leads to greater love for the Lord, a desire for holiness and a concerted plea
to honour Jesus as the only Saviour and Lord of the Church – and of the world.
During
Holy Week we amongst other commemorations, observe the Tenebrae Service on
Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
The
high light and destination of our journey is the celebration of the
resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday.
The
word “holy” means that something belongs to God. It tells us that this
week is set apart for God, to remember, contemplate and celebrate the central
truth of the gospel, that only Jesus Christ, the Son of God, saved us from our
sins by his atoning death and victorious resurrection and ascension.
What
is “Palm Sunday”?
Palm Sunday always falls on the Sunday before Easter Sunday. The feast
commemorates an event mentioned by all four Gospels (Mark 11:1-11, Matthew
21:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19). It remembers the triumphant entry
of Jesus into Jerusalem on the last Sunday before his Passion.
The
earliest evidence of Palm Sunday celebrations can be traced back to Jerusalem
in the 4th century, according to the travel diary of a woman who had travelled
to Jerusalem and observed the festivities - including the procession of
believers with palm fronds. He is a King who intentionally came to Jerusalem
to save us by giving his life – body, soul, and spirit – to carry our
punishment and deliver us from the law and judgment of God.
What
is Tenebrae?
The Tenebrae service is observed on Maundy Thursday, the Thursday night before
Good Friday. It was on that Thursday night that Jesus instituted the holy
Supper, washed the feet of his disciples, experienced the anguish and fear of Gethsemane,
and was arrested and tried by the religious leaders of his time. It was the
night that he was betrayed by Judas and denied by Peter.
Tenebrae
(Latin for 'shadows' or 'darkness') is a unique ceremonial memorial of the
suffering of Christ by the gradual extinguishing of candles, a series of
Scripture readings, teaching on the meaning of the Passion of Christ.
The
purpose of the Tenebrae service is to recreate the emotional aspects of the
passion events. It is not to be a happy service, because the occasion
remembered is a solemn one in which we are in mourning because our sins caused
the Son of Man so much hellish torment and distress.
Good
Friday.
Good Friday is not a day of celebration but of mourning, both for the sins of
the world and our personal sin that the death of Christ represents. Yet,
although remembering Good Friday is a solemn, penitentiary time, it is not
without its own joy. For while it is important to see the Resurrection
against the darkness of Good Friday, likewise the sombreness of Good Friday
should always be seen with the hope of Resurrection Sunday. We always observe
Good Friday well knowing that Sunday is coming! Sunday, every Sunday, remains a
feast of worship and praise, because Jesus triumphed over death and all our
enemies.
Easter
Sunday.
On the 3rd day Jesus triumphantly rose again!
Easter Sunday is the crown of Christian worship that inspires every Sunday
service of the year, where we are equipped to glorify the resurrected Lord, by living
for the glory of God every day of our lives, until the end!
You
could call it “the most important Sunday of the year” or call it “the most
inspiring Sunday worship one can ever experience”!
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