In honor of Holy Week, we invite you to join us as a church family in setting aside intentional time to reflect on the days leading to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. This sacred week reminds us of the depth of Christ’s love and the hope we have because of His sacrifice.
You can choose to journey through this devotional on your own or gather with us online for discussion and prayer. We pray that it creates space for you to slow down, draw near to God, and thoughtfully consider all that Jesus has done to restore us into relationship with Him.
As Scripture reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:17–18, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself.” May this truth renew your heart throughout this Easter week.
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MATTHEW 21:1-11, MARK 11:1-11, LUKE 19:28-44, AND JOHN 12:12-19
The day Jesus rode into Jerusalem is often called His Triumphal Entry. However, the scene was filled with mixed emotions and deep confusion. What looked like a victory parade was, in reality, a moment layered with misunderstanding.
The crowd lining the road experienced a surge of human emotion from cheers, jeers, fears, and tears. The cheers rang out from friends and followers who shouted “Hosanna!”: a word that literally means, “Save us” or “Deliver us.” Yet even in their praise, there was confusion. Many hoped Jesus would be a political king who would overthrow Rome and free them from daily oppression under the Roman government. At the same time, jeers and skepticism came from His enemies, who viewed Him as a threat. The same city that welcomed Him with palm branches would soon cry out demanding His crucifixion.
By Friday, the cheers of Sunday had turned into fear and tears. Why? Because the people expected one kind of king, and Jesus revealed Himself as another. They longed for freedom from a human ruler; He came to free them from a far greater bondage and the power of sin. Their immediate political deliverance was not granted, Triumphal Entry
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but a deeper, eternal deliverance was unfolding. The bondage of sin was far more devastating than the rule of Rome, and Christ’s mission was not to seize a throne but to bear a cross. Through His death, He would break the chains of a sinful, broken life and secure true redemption.
The price of their salvation would be paid at the hands of the very government they hoped He would overthrow. What seemed like defeat would become the greatest victory.
Sometimes we, too, cry “Hosanna” while secretly defining for God how we want to be saved. Yet Jesus still comes, and not always to fix our circumstances immediately, but to transform our hearts eternally.
Questions
At times, God’s ways can feel confusing, especially when we are walking through pain, loss, or disappointment. We may not see His greater purpose while we are in the middle of the struggle. Where in my life am I currently feeling confusion or disappointment?
What expectations have I carried that may not be unfolding the way I hoped?
Have I honestly brought those hard questions to Him in prayer?
Remember, God is not intimidated by your doubts or fears. He invites you to come openly and honestly. You do not have to hide your questions. He is listening, and He desires to meet you in your confusion with His peace and freedom.
Guided Prayer:
Father, Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, as the ultimate expression of Your love, demonstrated through His death on the cross. Because of Him, I know You are for me, even when life feels uncertain. Today, I choose to trust You even when I am carrying questions and confusion that I do not fully understand. Please give me clarity where it is needed.
You are the Temple
SCRIPTURE
MATTHEW 21:12–22, MARK 11:15–19, LUKE 19:45-48, AND JOHN 2:13-17
Across Europe stand magnificent cathedrals that were once vibrant centers of worship, now in some places more like museums than houses of prayer. What happened? How does something built for spiritual life slowly lose its fire?
On Holy Monday, Jesus confronted that very issue. Entering the temple in Jerusalem, He found what was meant to be sacred space turned into a marketplace. What should have been devoted to prayer had become preoccupied with profit. In righteous anger, Jesus drove out the money changers, declaring, “My house shall be called a house of prayer.”
His passion was not about disrupting commerce, it was about restoring purpose. God’s house was designed to be a place of communion, dependence, and connection. The Apostle Paul later writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19 that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. That truth brings the lesson close to home. If God’s dwelling place is now within us, then the question is personal: Has my heart become distracted, cluttered,
or spiritually complacent?
Holy Week invites us to examine our lives. Not with shame, but with honesty. Prayer is not a last resort; it is our lifeline. It is how we access God’s presence, power, and provision. A vibrant spiritual life is sustained not by activity alone, but by intimacy with Him.
Questions:
Since my body is the dwelling place of God, are there attitudes, habits, or priorities I need to surrender in repentance?
What practical steps can I take to make my life a true “house of prayer”?
How central is prayer in my daily walk with Christ?
Guided Prayer: HolyMonday
Jesus, search my heart and reveal anything that is displeasing to You. Anything that brings spiritual dryness instead of life. Give me the courage and power to repent and realign my priorities. Make my heart a sanctuary for Your presence. May my life reflect Your power, grace, and holiness to those around me who need Your forgiveness and healing. Amen.
Anointed King
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SCRIPTURE
MATTHEW 26:6-13, MARK 14:1-9, JOHN 12:1-8
On Tuesday morning, Jesus sat at the table of Simon the Leper, reclining with His disciples and friends, when Mary entered, holding an alabaster jar of costly perfume. Without hesitation, she poured it on His feet and wiped them with her hair, a profoundly intimate act of devotion. Unfazed by the judgment of those around her, Mary poured out her love for Jesus in a way that would not be silenced or contained. What a bold, extravagant expression of love this was, witnessed by all.
Matthew and Mark highlight the prophetic significance of this anointing, alluding to Jesus’ coming death and burial. In the Old Testament, the anointing of a king’s head was a sign of consecration and kingship (1 Samuel 9:15—10:1; 16:12–13; 1 Kings 1:38–40). Mary’s anointing of Jesus, however, also points to His dual identity: the Messiah-King, whose reign is marked by both sovereignty and servanthood. When Mary anointed His feet and wiped them with her hair, she foreshadowed Jesus’ humble act of washing His disciples’ feet at the Last Supper (John 13:1–20), embodying both His
kingship and servanthood.
The word “Messiah” means “the anointed one,” and it comes from the Hebrew word for anointing, while “Christ” derives from the Greek “Christos,” meaning the same. Jesus Christ is God’s anointed Messiah, the one chosen to bring salvation to the world.
Mary’s act serves as a powerful example of courage and conviction. In the face of cultural expectations and criticism, she remained steadfast in her faith, led by the Holy Spirit to boldly love and honor Jesus. Her courageous devotion is a witness to all of us—there is no greater testimony than standing firm in our faith, even when it goes against the tide of society. Mary’s love was not only a bold act of worship, but a powerful declaration of who Jesus truly is: the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Servant-King.
Questions: Guided Prayer
What areas of my life am I holding back from fully surrendering to Christ?
Am I allowing fear of criticism to silence my witness?
How can I live with both passion for Jesus and compassion for others, reflecting His love and grace without judgment?
Lord, use my life for Your glory. Give me courage to be a faithful witness to Jesus in both word and action. Teach me to love You wholeheartedly, without fear of what others may think. Help me to reflect Your grace and compassion to those around me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
