Holy Week

Worship Ideas for Holy Week

Some congregations may hold a number of services this week, including Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Vigil. Others may choose to hold only a single service between Palm/Passion Sunday and Easter morning, weaving together themes related to each of Jesus’ last days.

When: the week leading up to Easter
Liturgical colors: purple or red (and sometimes white and then black)
Associated objects/symbols: foot-washing bowl, bread and wine, cross
Themes: those related to the events of Jesus’ final week, including:

• washing the disciples’ feet and “Love one another” (See Maundy Thursday)
• the Last Supper and proclaiming Jesus’ death (See Salvation in Christ by Grace and Maundy Thursday)
• Jesus in Gethsemane and the suffering servant (see Good Friday)
• sacrificial love (See Sacrificial Love)
• salvation in Christ by grace (See Salvation in Christ by Grace)
• Jesus’ burial and waiting (See Holy Saturday)

Ideas from Scripture for Holy Week

Holy Week Narratives

• Matthew 21–27
• Mark 11–15
• Luke 19–23
• John 12–19

Significant Events

• John 12:12–16, Jesus enters Jerusalem
• John 12:20–26, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified”
• Matthew 26:14–16, Judas's betrayal
• Matthew 26:26–30, the Last Supper
• Mark 14:32–36, Jesus in Gethsemane
• Mark 15:25–28, Jesus crucified
• Mark 15:33–34, Jesus cries out
• Mark 15:52–57, Jesus’ burial

Love One Another

• John 15:1–17, love each other and bear fruit
• Ephesians 4–5, walk in love
• Hebrews 10:19–25, spur one another on toward love
• 1 John 4:7–21, let us love one another

Sacrificial Love

• Genesis 22:1–14, the binding of Isaac
• Lamentations 3, ceaseless love amid suffering
• John 10:14–18, the shepherd lays down his life
• 1 John 3:16; 4:7–21, God’s love is revealed in Jesus
• Hebrews 4:14–5:10, Christ is both high priest and sacrifice

Salvation in Christ by Grace

• Genesis 3:14–15, the woman’s offspring will crush the serpent’s head
• Acts 13:16–41, God’s salvation of Israel
• Romans 3:21–26, righteousness through faith
• Romans 8:1–17, set free in Christ
• 1 Corinthians 1:17–21, the power of the cross
• Galatians 3:1–14, redeemed from the curse
• Ephesians 2:13–22, reconciliation through the cross
• Philippians 2:5–11, obedience unto death
• Colossians 1:19–23, peace through the cross
• Colossians 2:13–15, trespasses nailed to the cross
• Hebrews 2:5–9, Jesus the representative human
• Hebrews 10:1–25, the body of Christ once for all
• 1 Peter 1:10–20, ransomed with the blood of Christ
• Revelation 5:6–14, the Lamb who was slain

Reflections on Holy Week

In Holy Week Christians commemorate the events just before Jesus's sacrificial death and his burial. On Palm Sunday, Jesus is hailed as a conquering king ("Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord"), illustrating a part of the confusion that pervaded Jesus' life. Would he usher in the kingdom of God in its fullness right now, or only later? On Thursday Jesus celebrated Passover with his disciples and instituted the Lord's Supper, feeding the traitor Judas along with the other disciples. On Friday Jesus died a horrible death by crucifixion on Golgotha and was buried. Christians believe that Jesus' death was not a mere expiration, but a heroic sacrifice of himself to win atonement "for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2).

Catholic monks often read the book of Lamentations during Holy Week. The death of Jesus is to them like the fall of the city of Jerusalem. In each case the center of our life has been assailed and ruined.