Category Archives: Holy Week

Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, ‘It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer”; but you are making it aContinue reading “Holy Week Thoughts: Another Look – Jesus and the Temple”

Zechariah 9-14 was a key passage for the evangelists who told the story of Passion Week in the Gospels. In volume two of his “Christian Origins” series, Jesus and the Victory of God, N.T. Wright gives an overview of the subjects addressed in this text: The writer promises the long-awaited arrival of the true kingContinue reading “Holy Week with Zechariah (2): Woe to Toxic Leadership”

…let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. – Matthew 27:42 * * * At Mockingbird, they have this helpful entry on the subject of “Theology of Glory” in their site glossary: Theologies of glory are approaches to Christianity and to life that try in various ways to minimizeContinue reading “Holy Week Thoughts: A Cross-less Faith”

A book which, as we have already seen, was arguably of great influence on Jesus, and which contained dark hints about the necessary suffering of the people of YHWH, is of course Zechariah, particularly its second part (chapters 9-14). …The underlying theme of the passage, as of so much Jewish literature of the period, isContinue reading “Holy Week with Zechariah (1): Mismatched Expectations”

Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands for our offenses given; but now at God’s right hand he stands and brings us life from heaven. Therefore let us joyful be and sing to God right thankfully loud songs of hallelujah! Hallelujah!  So let us keep the festival to which the Lord invites us; Christ isContinue reading “Holy Week with Duccio: Appearance behind Locked Doors”

Faithful cross, true sign of triumph, be for all the noblest tree; none in foliage, none in blossom, none in fruit your equal be; symbol of the world’s redemption, for your burden makes us free. – “Sing, my Tongue” Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus (ca. 535-600) trans. by John Mason Neale

I am one who has seen affliction    under the rod of God’s wrath; he has driven and brought me    into darkness without any light; against me alone he turns his hand,    again and again, all day long. He has made my flesh and my skin waste away,    and broken my bones; he has besieged and envelopedContinue reading “Holy Week with Duccio: Crucifixion”

And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God,got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and toContinue reading “Holy Week with Duccio: Washing the Disciples’ Feet”