Holy Week recalls the central events of the Christian faith, from Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem to his crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. It begins on Sunday, when Jesus is welcomed as the promised Messiah, riding on a donkey in fulfillment of prophecy. Throughout Holy Week, however, the people’s expectation of a political liberator gives way to Christ’s true purpose: to accomplish redemption through sacrifice. On Holy Monday, Jesus cleanses the temple and curses the barren fig tree, revealing judgment against a fruitless religiosity. On Tuesday, he intensifies his confrontations with the religious leaders and teaches about watchfulness, judgment, and God’s sovereignty. Wednesday marks the conspiracy to put Jesus to death and Judas’s betrayal. Then, on Holy Thursday, during the Passover meal, Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper, washes the disciples’ feet, and goes to Gethsemane, where he faces deep anguish yet submits to the Father’s will. On Friday, the most dramatic point of Holy Week, Jesus is unjustly tried, condemned by Pilate, and crucified at Golgotha. His death is not merely an unjust suffering, but the redemptive act in which Christ offers himself as a sacrifice for sinners. On Saturday, the silence of the tomb seems to interrupt hope. Yet on Sunday, the resurrection confirms Jesus’ victory over death and reveals the true meaning of Holy Week: the fulfillment of God’s promises, salvation in Christ, and the hope of new life.
