Week 14 - The Week That Changed The World
“‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” (Matthew 26:39)
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the Holy Week in the Christian calendar. This is the last and the most important week in the life of Jesus Christ before He returned to the Father in heaven. The Apostle John devoted half of his gospel to the last week of Christ’s life. It is also a week where Christians all over the world pause and reflect upon the person and work of Christ.
On that week, Christ made His triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem, instituted the Lord’s Supper, was crucified on the cross and rose again from the dead. These four events took place on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It was the week that changed the world.
Palm Sunday
Section titled “Palm Sunday”Palm Sunday signalled the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry and the beginning of His journey to the cross. On that day, Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is one of the few incidents in Jesus’ life that is recorded in all the four gospels. As He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, a large crowd lined the streets shouting “Hosanna!” which is an Aramaic phrase meaning “Save us now!”
Maundy Thursday
Section titled “Maundy Thursday”Thursday was the day of the Passover feast. It was also the last Passover meal that Jesus had with His disciples. Our Lord used the bread and the wine from the Passover meal to portray the kind of death He was going to suffer and therefore, He instituted the Lord’s Supper. He waited for this occasion to deliver the Great Commandment to His 12 disciples: “Love one another as I have loved you” (
Good Friday
Section titled “Good Friday”Jesus was crucified on Friday. It is called Good Friday for a good reason. It was the day when the price for the sins of all humanity was paid in full. Jesus died on the cross to save sinners like you and me. It is good news to us but it required the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Easter Sunday
Section titled “Easter Sunday”Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday is a pivotal day in the history of mankind. It is the day our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ rose from the dead. It became known as the Lord’s Day and is the day Christians come together to worship God. The empty tomb of Jesus is a promise from God that one day, the tombs of the people of God will also be emptied. When Christ returns again, all who are dead in Christ will be raised (
That was the week that changed the world. Just as God took a week to create the world, He also took a week to “recreate” the world. The world has been changed forever through the death and the resurrection of Christ. After Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan, God promised them in Genesis 3:15 that Satan would cripple mankind but Christ would deliver the fatal blow. This promise was fulfilled when Christ conquered death by rising again from the dead on that first Easter morning.
At Gethsemane
Section titled “At Gethsemane”Right in the middle of the Holy Week, Jesus brought His disciples to a place called Gethsemane. It must have been a place they visited often for prayer. However, on this particular day, just a few hours away from His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus spent an extended time of prayer with His disciples.
Luke described for us the agony that Jesus must have felt as He poured out His heart to His Father in heaven. “An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” (
Three times Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (
Now He was doing likewise. Jesus’ prayed that He would fulfil God’s will. It was the prayer that saved the world.
For Your Reflection
Section titled “For Your Reflection”How does the way Jesus made His triumphant entry teach me humility?
How am I fulfilling Jesus’ commandment to love one another?
What does it mean to take up the cross daily and follow Jesus?
How should Christ’s resurrection affect the way I live?
What does it mean to pray, “Not as I will, but as You will”?