Growing up in the Catholic Church I’m sure we attended on some of the days that are special according to the church calendar but I don’t recall. Then in my late teens I surrender my life to Christ Jesus and was part of an independent Christian Church that didn’t observe such days except for Easter and Christmas.
Fast forward three decades and for the last few years I’ve pastored a church that does participate in Maundy Thursday and Good Friday Services; and I’ve come to appreciate them very much.
Enduring a power outage gives you a new appreciation for electricity and all the comforts that come with it. And not surprisingly, the longer our gap of no power lasts, the greater our appreciation for it grows.
New depths of disappointment tend to be followed by new heights of joy.
In a similar way, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday develop in us a greater appreciation for Easter. They are opportunities for us to experience and contemplate some of what the disciples must have experienced with Jesus during His final hours …
- Their excitement of gathering together for the Passover Meal, wondering if Jesus was about to take the throne and restore Israel to a state of independence…
- Their uncertainty when Jesus led them to the garden to pray …
- Their shock when Jesus was betrayed by Judas and arrested like a common criminal…
- Their disbelief and utter horror as their teacher, the one they’d left everything to follow, was being tortured and nailed to a cross…
But then Sunday comes and with it the empty grave! How can we begin to describe the powerful emotions that must have swept over them with all that was going on?
Making time to participate in Maundy Thursday and Good Friday Services helps to develop in us an even greater appreciation for Easter and the hope that was born again when Jesus conquered death!
Find some services at a church near you or locate some resources online to reflect on what took place so many years ago. And then celebrate Easter like never before!
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© Richard Alvey and iLife Journey, 2014. All rights reserved.
A ragamuffin in awe of God's grace and glory... pursuing real life in Jesus.
iLife Journey 
May we all reflect on HIS great sacrifice and victory.
Thank you – good thoughts. Keep up the good work
The commemoration on Holy Week events is something I do miss in the churches I have attended since giving my life to The Lord. It seemed to make the celebration of the Resuurection even more special.
Amen!