This week is a very special week in the Christian year. Holy Week or Passion Week is the week leading up to the resurrection celebration on Easter morning marking the events of the final week of Jesus’ life before his crucifixion.

The week begins with Passion/Palm Sunday and ends with the “three days” (also called the Triduum, from sunset on Thursday to sunset on Easter Day) which mark Jesus’ trial, death, and resurrection. These days feature not only the drama of the triumphal entry, trial, last supper, and crucifixion but also poignant prayers and prophetic teachings of our Lord. Each of the gospel’s emphasis the importance of these events with the amount of time and detail devoted to them. John’s gospel devotes eight of its twenty-one chapters to this week alone! Worship throughout Holy Week invites us to think of ourselves as participants in a dramatic reenactment of scriptural events. We will be invited to sing and shout “Hosanna!” this Sunday as the crowds shouted during Christ’s approach to Jerusalem. On Friday night we will gather around tables to break bread and drink wine together as Jesus did with his disciples on the night that he was betrayed. That night we will read of the passion narrative; Jesus betrayal, his trial, Peter’s denial and the crucifixion. As we read we will extinguish candles, the light in our midst will dim as the light of the world nears his death on a cross for our sin.
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All of these events are designed to help the us sense the significance of the narratives for what they teach us about Jesus’ ministry, about God’s being and character, and about the nature and scope of redemption in Christ. All of these events will help to magnify our celebration of Christ’s resurrection and the life he promises to those who believe. All of these events will be designed to include your family and should be engaging and compelling even to fairly young children. We invite you to come, participate as we reenact the events of our Lord’s passion and talk about it as a family afterwards. (adapted from The Worship Sourcebook)

Here are some ideas and resources for talking and processing together.
Stations of the Cross for Kids
https://network.crcna.org/faith-nurture/lent-children-simplified-stations-cross

Jesus Final Days: Palm Sunday (Video Explanation)
https://vimeo.com/89013208

Jesus Final Days: Maundy Thursday (Video Explanation)
vimeo.com/89420081

Jesus Final Days: Good Friday (Video Explanation)
vimeo.com/89429101

Jesus Final Days: Holy Saturday (Video Explanation)
vimeo.com/89436644

Jesus Final Days: Easter Sunday (Video Explanation)
vimeo.com/89509380