Ways to Deepen Your Faith During Holy Week

Holy Week is upon us and for many believers, it brings with it a familiar question: Do I really need to observe this? After all, Holy Week isn’t mandated in Scripture. There’s no New Testament command that says, “Thou shalt mark the eight days between Palm Sunday and Easter.” So is it optional? Technically, yes. But is it also deeply valuable? Absolutely.

The Apostle Paul offers a generous lens for these kinds of observances “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:5). Holy Week is not a spiritual requirement but it is a rare opportunity.

Opportunity, Not Obligation

To observe Holy Week is not to earn God’s favor. It’s to slow down and remember the staggering cost of our salvation. It’s to pause and enter into the most pivotal moments in history the final footsteps of Jesus, from Palm Sunday to the cross, to the empty tomb.

While the New Testament never commands the observance of Holy Week, it certainly models the significance of this span. Consider this:

• Matthew devotes 8 of his 28 chapters to this single week.

• Mark gives 6 of his 16 chapters.

• Luke sets aside 6 of 24.

• And John the most striking spends 10 of his 21 chapters walking through the final days of Jesus’s life.

That’s not a footnote. That’s a spotlight.

Why the Week Matters

Holy Week is more than just a calendar tradition. It’s a focused pilgrimage into the very heart of the gospel. For those willing to engage, it can recalibrate a weary soul and realign distracted hearts.

We don’t need to overcomplicate it. This isn’t about grand rituals or guilt-fueled obligations. It’s about intentional remembrance and the way that remembrance stirs worship.

The world doesn’t slow down for Holy Week. But you can.

Ways to Embrace the Week

You don’t need to do anything elaborate. You simply need to make space.

• Pick a time each day to read from the Passion narratives. Set aside 10–15 minutes to reflect on what Jesus was walking through that day.

• Consider reading through the Gospel accounts of Holy Week:

  • Matthew 21–28

  • Mark 11–16

  • Luke 19–24

  • John 12–21

• Pray through Ephesians 3:16–19, asking that the Spirit would deepen your grasp of Christ’s love during these days.

• Attend a Maundy Thursday or Good Friday service, if possible.

• Make it special light a candle, journal your reflections, share with a friend or family member.

Above all, ask the Spirit to give you a fresh sense of awe not just for what Jesus did, but for how personally and passionately He did it for you.

Holy Week Is a Love Story

At its core, this week is about love not sentiment, but sacrifice. As John 13:1 tells us, “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”

Jesus didn’t flinch on the road to the cross. Every step was marked by divine resolve. Every wound, every word, every moment bore the weight of love for the unlovely. For us.

“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

If you engage with Holy Week at all, let it be for this: to remember how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ (Ephesians 3:18). Let that love ground you, revive you, and renew your joy.

This Week Can Be Different

You don’t need to treat Holy Week like a box to check or a burden to carry. Treat it like a gift a time to see Jesus again with clear eyes and a full heart.

So make time to read. Make time to pray. Make time to marvel.

Because in the end, Holy Week isn’t about what we do it’s about what He did.

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