The Most Famous Week of the Year

By Pastor Mark McAdow
This Sunday begins Holy Week. The week we celebrate the life, passion, death, and miraculous resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! It’s a week like no other. It begins with great joy and celebration as Jesus enters Jerusalem on “Palm Sunday” in preparation for Passover, where be literally becomes “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”-John 1:29. We walk with Jesus through the week where He washes the filthy feet of his disciples as a common servant and declares, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”  Why? “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” -John 13:34-35. Love is a keynote of Holy week. We will remember his sacrificial love next Thursday March 28 with a free Soup and Salad Luncheon and opportunity to receive Holy Communion from 12 noon to 12:45PM in our Family Life Center. Come join us at your lunch hour!

Hatred is also a keynote of that first week we now call “Holy.”  Jesus was hated by the Jewish leaders- the spiritual leaders of His day- and hordes of other Jewish people, even though He was a Jew.  I was once chastised by a Jewish family member who said I didn’t appreciate Judaism. My response? “I gave my life to a Jew”- Jesus. Jesus was The Suffering Servant prophesied by Isaiah who “was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering…he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” -Is. 53:3,5. Though hated by many, He willingly died for all on a terrible Friday we now call “Good.” “…While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” -Romans 5:8.  You can’t really celebrate Easter until you have experienced Good Friday. We will have a sacred service of remembrance at 7:00PM next Friday night, March 29 in our sanctuary.

Holy Saturday is set aside for reflection and prayer. Special prayer stations will be set up in our Parlor from 7:00AM- 7:00PM for you. Sign up this Sunday for a time slot to come and pray. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed”-Mark 1:35.  It’s OK to pray throughout the day too!

Join us next Sunday March 31 for three special Easter Services beginning at 7:00AM with our Sunrise Service outdoors by the crosses.  Our new Youth Pastor Scott Heusel and our Youth will be leading this service! We will serve breakfast immediately following. We will also celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection at 9:00AM and 11:00AM with Discipleship Communities and Sunday School meeting at 10:10! This truly is the most famous day and week of the year! I trust you will be present at every opportunity you can and invite others to join you too. As our marquee states, “Jesus died for you. Are you living for Him?” Let’s live for Him together!
 
Yours in Christ’s love,
Pastor Mark

PS: I challenged us to journey with Jesus by reading one chapter from the book of Mark every day between now and Easter. Today (Thursday) is Mark Chapter 6. See you this Palm Sunday when we’ll hear our Willow View Choir and children sing, as well as host our annual Easter egg hunt at 10:10.