Holy Week
Although the name “Holy Week” is most prominent in the Catholic Church, the Protestants are starting to pay more attention to its spiritual significance. After all, the Gospels describe it in quite a lot of detail.
Holy Week commemorates the final days of Jesus before the Cross, and then, His crucifixion and resurrection. It begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday, and the key events of these days take place in and around Jerusalem.
Would you like to know the significance of each day of this most exceptional week? We got you! Follow along to read about the events and locations of the Holy Week.
Beginning on Palm Sunday
The Holy Week begins on a Sunday, when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem. Only He truly understood what was ahead. Meanwhile, His disciples were getting ready for Passover – one of the most significant holidays of the year.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, the crowds greeted Him with palm branches and shouts of “Hosanna!” The atmosphere seemed joyous even if slightly desperate. After all, the nation was in distress caused by the Roman occupation.
The Jewish people were excited to commemorate their journey to freedom out of Egypt. And yet, here they were in their promised land—not free. Could this teacher from Nazareth be their savior?
Holy Monday & Holy Tuesday
In the beginning of this week, Jesus stayed with his friends in Bethany – siblings Mary, Martha and Lazarus. To reach the city of Jerusalem, He would cross over the Mount of Olives and entered through the Eastern Gate.
Traditionally, on Holy Monday and Holy Tuesday we remember Jesus cleansing the Holy Temple, cursing the fig tree, and teaching in the temple courts. But in order…
Firstly, Jesus entered the Temple in Jerusalem and overturned the tables of money changers. He accused them of turning God’s house into a “den of thieves” (Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-18, Luke 19:45-48).
Secondly, Jesus saw a fig tree without fruit, and so He cursed it. The tree symbolized Israel’s spiritual barrenness in that season (Matthew 21:18-22, Mark 11:12-14).
On those days, Jesus also shared prophecies about the end times and His Second Coming. He warned His listeners about false prophets, persecution, and the importance of staying watchful (read more in Matthew 24–25, Mark 13, Luke 21).
Spy Wednesday
The name of this day in the Holy Week may sound new to you. Spy Wednesday draws our attention to Judas’ betrayal, who acted like a spy for the priests who wanted to see Jesus arrested.
Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for 30 silver coins and regretted it almost immediately after (Matthew 26:14-16, Mark 14:10-11, Luke 22:3-6).
On Wednesday, we also remember the woman who anointed Jesus with expensive perfume (Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, John 12:1-8). Judas criticized her, claiming the money should be given to the poor. But Jesus defended the woman, saying she prepared Him for burial.
Middle of Holy Week: Maundy Thursday
Thursday of the Holy Week is a very important turning point, one that believers around the world commemorate regularly to this day. On Maundy Thursday, Jesus ate the last supper with his disciples and introduced what we call today the Holy Communion.
This is how the Apostle Matthew recorded the events from the night before Jesus’ crucifixion:
“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” (Matthew 26:26–28)
Jesus redefined the Passover meal, which celebrated Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. His body and blood would now represent a new covenant—deliverance from sin and death. Later, the Apostle Paul reminds us that we are to do this in remembrance of Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:24–25).
That same night, Jesus left for the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, where He was eventually arrested.
Culmination of Holy Week: Good Friday
On the most solemn day of the Holy Week, we remember Jesus’ trial, suffering, and death on the cross.
After Jesus’ arrest in the garden in the early hours of the day, He was taken to the House of Caiaphas for questioning before the Sanhedrin. (Matthew 26:57-75) Soon after, Jesus was mocked and scourged before Pontius Pilate at the Antonia Fortress.
Beaten and betrayed, Jesus had to carry His cross through the city, all the way to Calvary. In Jerusalem, visitors can follow a path through the Old City called Via Dolorosa – the way of Suffering. It is believed to be the traditional path Jesus walked while carrying the cross, although there’s little historical evidence to support the path’s accuracy.
According to the Apostle Mark, Jesus was crucified still in the early hours of the day. Two sites in Jerusalem commemorate these events – the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Garden Tomb. We recommend visiting both, as you ponder the deep meaning of what happened on the Cross that day.
Jesus’ death at Passover fulfilled His role as the Passover Lamb whose blood brings deliverance (Exodus 12).
Holy Saturday
This quiet and somber day generally gets very little attention, and yet it holds great meaning. It marks the time Jesus lay in the tomb, and it’s a day of waiting, silence, and hope.
On the previous day, Joseph of Arimathea requested Jesus’ dead body and put it in a tomb (Luke 23:50–56). The tomb was sealed, and Roman guards were stationed outside to prevent tampering (Matthew 27:62–66).
And then came the Sabbath, so Jesus’ followers rested and mourned. The Apostles’ Creed says that on this day “He descended into hell” (or “the realm of the dead”). On the surface, some may think that nothing happened on this day of the Holy Week.
But we know what Jesus had promised and what was about to happen next! That is how we know that on Holy Saturday a supernatural moment of triumph happened in the unseen realm.
Sunday – Resurrection Day (Easter)
Here is how the Gospels describe the events on the last day of the Holy Week:
Early on Sunday morning, several women went to Jesus’ tomb. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. They were bringing spices to anoint Jesus’ body, a traditional burial practice.
But when they arrived, they found that someone or something rolled away the stone from the entrance. The tomb was empty. Inside the tomb, they saw an angel (or in some Gospels, two angels) who told them:
“Do not be afraid. He is not here—He has risen, just as He said.”
The women were shocked, confused, and afraid—but also filled with wonder. The angel told them to go quickly and tell Jesus’ disciples. So, Mary Magdalene ran to tell Peter and John.
Peter and John rushed to the tomb and found it just as she said—empty, with the linen burial cloths lying there. But they didn’t fully understand yet what it meant.
Later that same morning, Jesus appeared—first to Mary Magdalene outside the tomb. She didn’t recognize Him at first, but when He called her by name, she knew it was Him. She ran to tell the disciples, becoming the first witness of the resurrection.
Jesus’ victory over death marks the most joyful day in the Christian calendar and the beginning of a new chapter in the history of mankind.
How to Celebrate Holy Week
As you see, each day of the Holy Week holds a special meaning and should be commemorated. If you would like to observe the Holy Week this year, day by day, here are some suggestions for what you can do:
- Read Scripture Daily: see below a list of passages you can use.
- Join a fellowship of believers: Many churches have special services even during the week, from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday.
- Pray and Reflect: Set aside quiet time to talk and listen to Jesus. Pray, journal, or meditate on each day’s meaning.
- Consider fasting: Giving up meals to focus on spiritual things is a beautiful and powerful biblical practice.
Open your Bible to the following passages during the Holy Week:
Matthew 21:1–11: Jesus’ triumphal entry to Jerusalem
Matthew 21–25: Jesus teaching in the temple
Matthew 26:14–16: Judas’ betrayal
John 13 and Luke 22: the Last Supper
John 18–19 and Luke 22–23: the Passion narrative
Luke 24 or John 20: the Resurrection story
Passover and Its Significance for Christians: Free PDF Download
Passover is one of the seven feasts, often called “the appointed times,” listed in the Hebrew Scriptures. It is one of the most well known Jewish holidays.
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