There’s a joke that goes: Little 5 year old Samuel couldn’t go to church with the rest of his family one Palm Sunday because he was sick. He stayed home with his mother who took care of him while the rest of the family went to church. When his father and siblings came back, he noticed that they had palms in their hands. Curious, Samuel asked what had happened at church. His brother informed him, “Oh, these are the palms that people held over Jesus’ head as He came into the city.” Samuel looked dejected and said, “Figures…the one Sunday I don’t come to church, Jesus shows up.”
We know that Jesus shows up in our worship every week in Word and Sacrament whether it is Palm Sunday or the 6th Sunday after Epiphany. He promises to be there for us in the Word that we hear read and preached. He promises to be there for us in the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. In that way, every Sunday and every service that we have here at University Lutheran is holy.
But Holy Week is a distinct thing. During Holy Week we gather at University Lutheran 4 times: on Sunday for Palm/Passion Sunday, on Thursday for Maundy Thursday, on Friday for Good Friday, and then finally on Easter Sunday to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord. Each of the different services bring out a different moment in Christ’s final days: Palm Sunday causes us to remember His triumphal entry, Maundy Thursday brings to mind the Last Supper with His disciples, Good Friday His suffering and death, and Easter His triumphant raising from the tomb.
In each of these services, you will encounter Jesus showing up in His Word and Sacrament for you – bringing you His good gifts of peace and joy through the forgiveness of your sins. He showed up for you when He rode the donkey into Jerusalem. He showed up for you when He instituted His supper for you. He showed up when He died for you on the Cross. He showed up for you when He raised from the tomb. And He shows up for you every time we gather together with His Word and Sacrament.