Holy Week

This Sunday is Palm Sunday, which marks our entry to Holy Week. The stories are so familiar, and yet, somehow, we also hear them anew each year. Though we often harmonize the four gospels, it can be powerful to look at each narrative individually. What is the gospel writer hoping to communicate about Jesus, and God, and salvation? Which details are included, and which are left out?

Holy Week - paper cuttings by Heather Thum Gerber

Usually, we hear two different accounts of the passion story each year (passion coming from the Latin word for "suffering"). On Palm Sunday, we hear from either Matthew, Mark, or Luke, depending on the lectionary cycle. This year, the long passion reading on Sunday will come from Mark. Then, on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, we always hear John's version. On Thursday, it is the story of the Last Supper (though, interestingly enough, John's focus is on footwashing, and does not include the institution of the Lord's Supper). On Friday, it is John's passion narrative. 

John's passion narrative is markedly different from the synoptics (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). The timing of Jesus' crucifixion is one difference. In John, Jesus is crucified on the day before Passover, rather than the day after he and the disciples share the Passover meal. John's gospel is filled with symbolism, and this choice connects Jesus' death to the slaughter of the Passover lamb, whose blood was marked on the doorposts to save the Israelites from death during the tenth plague in Exodus. 

Another difference is the themes present in the various passion narratives. In particular, Matthew and Mark emphasize Jesus' abandonment - by his disciples, who fall asleep; by Judas, who betrays him; by Peter, who denies him; by the crowds, who call for his crucifixion; and even, as heard in his last words from the cross, by God. In contrast, John's emphasis is on the cross as Jesus' glorification and victory. Jesus is very much in control of everything that happens - Judas, the soldiers, and Pilate think they have power, but really they are pawns in what Jesus has come to accomplish. We hear this also in his words from the cross: "It is finished!" means "finished" in the sense of "completed" or "accomplished".

This year, I invite you to notice the similarities and differences in the two distinct narratives we'll hear next week. What is the tone of each story? Which themes or images stick out to you? What emotions bubble up as you hear these words, both familiar and new?


Bonus resources: 

  • A comparison between the four gospels, from Dr. Mark Allan Powell: What Happen When Jesus Dies, and Jesus' Last Words.
  • Also from Powell, a deeper look at the themes in each gospel's passion narrative: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
  • Atonement theories are the different ways theologians explain/understand why Jesus had to die, and how we are saved. For an overview of some of these theories, check out this video, starring Peeps bunnies, which was made by a colleague (and Daniel and I helped!). 
  • Each year, artist Mary Button creates modern, mixed media pieces for the traditional Stations of the Cross, following various themes. This one called Pandemic Hope is especially moving.

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