This week, Holy Week, is the most important celebration in the Christian calendar. It began a few days ago with Palm Sunday, recalling Jesus Christ’s triumphant yet humble entrance into Jerusalem. It ends eight days later, with a joyous Easter signifying Christ’s triumph over death. This week is the most important of all Christendom. The resurrection at Easter is the foundation of Christian belief.
As a child, I didn’t really understand the true significance of Easter. Christmas was an easier concept for me to grasp. I don’t think that is an uncommon reaction. Easter is hard to truly understand, even for adults. Christ is on a mission to die upon the cross for all sin, once and forever. He is given ample opportunity to turn away from this unenviable task and, instead, marches resolutely toward his death upon the cross, the most cruel and public of all execution methods.