Always Passion Week

We approach the annual Passion Week remembering the presentation, testings and trials, murder, burial and resurrection of the first Passion Week.  We set aside a special week to focus on that week in history which was the fulfillment of God’s plan and has proven to be the epicenter of all human history, but too much focus on one week each year may be missing the heart of God.  What we don’t find in the New Testament is a mandate, pattern, or challenge to make one week a year hyper-special concerning the things that marked that week.

What we do find, over and over, is the Bible pressing us to “behold the Lamb” – to consider the life, teachings, and touches of Jesus.  From His presentation on Palm Sunday until His arrest, His life was under the microscope.  Was He sinless, what were His teachings, how did He line up with the Old Testament, how did He treat people, how did He do ministry, etc.?  Was He indeed sinless, perfect, holy, thus a Lamb worthy?  Every week we need to be about the same – beholding, considering Him and letting Him bring us to over and over declare, “Truly, this was the Son of God.”

Then His arrest, torture, shame and mockery leading to His death should grip our souls daily.  Every week of every year we ought to be humbled that God would allow the evils of His fallen creation to attack Him so that indeed He might die on the very date and in the way foretold in the Old Testament.

And His physical death is so horrendous.  Surrounded with evil, mean soldiers, rebellious priests, a pagan Sandhedrin, the jeering crowds, a distraught mother, confused followers, and mockery by one dying with Him.  Terrible!  Terrible!  I cry as I contemplate the scene and the love.  How can this be so?  For me?  Weekly we should be impacted, humbled, contrite, bowed, broken and quieted before Him.  Not just one week in a year or just during Lent.

And His other death! What was going on between the Father and the Son is a whole deeper and moving story line.  My life yesterday, my indifference this morning, my coveting as I watched that commercial and a host of other sins just over the past couple of days are all large.  I am not a small sinner nor an occasional sinner – I am a great sinner and Jesus willingly took the punishment due me while on that cross.  What was happening from noon to 3 on that day in history ought to be impacting every day of my life.  I ought to daily be moved – not just for a single day each year.

And then His burial. Cemeteries are important for a number of reasons but one is to remind me that my Savior used one for a couple of days.  To stand before a spot where the body of a human lies should be sobering.  That person lying there dreamed, labored, laughed, groaned, fellowshipped, paid taxes, served others, grew weary, offended others, and eventually lost a battle with health.  That should be a powerful lesson in my life – over and over throughout the year.

And the resurrection!  “I can face uncertain days because He lives!”  Death and the grave DO NOT have the last word!  Hallelujah!!  The hope and joy of the resurrection should not just be enriching one Sunday a week but over and over every day of the week.

So, while annually we make ado over the Passion Week events 2,000 years ago, I don’t want to ever get to the point where that fulfills my duty to be thankful and worshipful to my God.  The Passion Week events should be impact players in my life every week.  Too often we settle for special services and emotional experiences to give us a sense that we are satisfying our God.  Rather, hearts tender and in-tune with God daily should mark us all our days.