Introduction to Holy Week at SCBC

Easter, like Christmas, is full of secular distractions. Entire aisles are set aside at Wal-Mart and other stores, to sell us the latest, greatest, and tastiest in treats and trinkets “celebrating” the holiday. Ask any kindergartner about Easter and Christmas, and more than likely, they will respond with a twinkle in their eye, and glee in their voice about some large well-dressed bunny laying eggs, and a fat man in a red suit slipping down chimneys setting presents under the tree.

I know what some of you are thinking, “that’s a pretty strong opening paragraph”, and that might be fair, but seriously, is there not in your heart, a desire for something more during this week we call Holy Week? Do you not long for, and search for, something more? When you stand before a rainbow-colored shelf of Peeps, do you ever think “I am sure there is more to Easter, than sugar-glazed marshmallows in the shape of a bunny and what I think is a baby chicken.”

Friends, there is so much more! We do not need to escape to some fairy tale land to give us temporary relief and joy in the midst of the struggles of everyday life. We do not need short lived pleasures to distract us from the cold hard realities of life and death. We do not need imaginary creatures and men from the past, or other worlds to appease our children’s fears and tough questions. What we need instead, is to be reminded by the Spirit, through the Word, how wonderfully more valuable it is to celebrate, tell about, get excited about, give thanks for, and worship the King of the universe, Jesus Christ.

Friends, this God-man Jesus Christ, is what should drive your thoughts during Easter. Fathers, your hearts should be on the brink of bursting to tell the amazing stories of Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter! Mothers, your words should lift up the worth and magnitude of the work of Jesus Christ during Holy Week. Grandparents, your recollections of Easters past, should be filled with tears over forgiven sins, and laughter of coming joys in Christ! Children, you should long to be told the story of Christ and his amazing life, death, burial, and resurrection more than the story of some bunny. Our affections for Christ during this week, should not be easily distracted by the world’s idea of the holiday. Instead, we should make every effort of our own, and plead with the Almighty that he would cause our affections to deepen for Christ. That praise, thanksgiving, and joyful singing would come from our hearts because of Christ and what he has done!

This is what I hope to do this week. As we begin today with Palm Sunday, as we meet again on Good Friday, and as we gather for Easter, I want us, by the Spirit of God, to leave these services with deeper affections for Christ. I plan on doing that by showing you from the Word of God, how that Jesus Christ is the King of Kings. Today I will speak on the “Promise of a King” from Genesis 49 and John 12. Friday I will talk about the “The death of a king” from Isaiah 53 and John 18. And on Easter, I will speak about the “King of Kings” from Revelation 19.