Lent - Holy Week: The Love of God in Full Bloom

In our busy and often troubled lives, it may seem like a frivolous luxury to stop and celebrate anything, but each year we celebrate the Holy Week because of what it signifies. In this week, Jesus demonstrated the revolutionary nature of his ministry, that it is not about power and conquest, but about humility and peace. He rode into Jerusalem not as an all-conquering king on a warhorse, but as a humble servant on a donkey. Furthermore, throughout the week, he never wavered in his love for us, even while facing pain, humiliation, and eventually death. In doing so, Jesus displayed his love for us and showed us that no matter our troubles, the love of God is greater.

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Scripture: John 12: 12-16, 23-28 

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

¹² The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. ¹³ They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!^[a]”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”^[b]

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

¹⁴ Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

¹⁵ “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
    see, your king is coming,
    seated on a donkey’s colt.”^[c]

¹⁶ At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

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John 12:23-28

 

New International Version

 

 

²³ Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴ Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵ Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

²⁷ “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”