Holy Week is the week that is observed by many Christians to remember about the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It generally begins on what is referred to as Palm Sunday and the feast comes to an end on Easter Sunday. However, the question many people put across, and mostly in Members Church of God International (MCGI) is this: Is the Holy Week biblical?
Upon a closer look at the Bible, I can see that the apostles and the early Christians did not have a special annual Holy Week. The Bible asks us to remember the death of Christ but it provides a particular method of remembering. Jesus said in Luke 22:19, this do in my memory.
He was referencing to the breaking of bread that is related to the Lord Supper. According to 1 Corinthians 11: 26, it reads; For as often as ye partake of this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the death of the Lord till he come. It is about commemorating His death and not a week long tradition by taking the Supper.
We are also given a warning about traditions in the Bible. In Mark 7:7 Jesus stated as follows, In vain do they worship me, and teach in place of doctrines the commandments of men. This verse is what makes me think. Are we pursuing the commandments of God or we are pursuing men-made traditions? This, in my opinion, is a grave question that every Christian needs to ask himself or herself.
The early church preached Christ crucified and risen in the book of acts (Acts 2:36) yet we hear nothing about them celebrating a Holy week as an annual religious festival. What they practiced was evidently the Passover-like worship of Christ and the preaching on the gospel repeatedly.
So is Holy Week biblical? According to what I read in the Scripture, the particular celebration in its present popular form is not explicitly prescribed in the Bible. That which is biblical is to remind of the sacrifice of Christ, live according to His teachings and have a holy life on a daily basis. To me, the issue of being honest in adhering to the Word of God is more important than adherence to a tradition.
God bless his word
Amen