Passion Week
One of my favorite pieces of music is Bach’s Mass in B minor. The mass flows with dynamic ascents and descents brimming with deep emotion. Every lofty analogy one can make about it is true; yet, it retains worshipfulness through its simplicity. To me, the yearning melodies and emotionalism of Bach’s work create a soundtrack to what we remember during the week of the Passion: those final days before Jesus’ crucifixion.
For the Christian, this week breeds mixed emotions. While we remember Jesus’ death we do so with full knowledge that on Sunday–on Easter, he arises. For the disciples who lived these events the experience was far different.
For them, the week trembled with excitement quickly followed by dread and then let-down. Finally, Jesus was being properly venerated. Finally, they would see their Rabbi get the adulation he deserved. And then in the midst of all that uplift, in the midst of all his previous cryptic sayings coalescing into sensibility, he is brutally killed.
He didn’t mean to take the earthly throne. He knew he was going to suffer death, and for these early followers of Christ it deeply affected their entire worldview.
Many desert him, others leave him, Peter denies him. From riding into the city exalted to hovering crucified. This is the Passion week.
We’ll be showing you resources around the gospel.com community related to the passion week, but maybe a good place to start would be by rereading each gospel account of the passion week:
Matthew’s account Mark’s account Luke’s account John’s account
