Easter 2023

by William L. Hathaway, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Academic Affairs

We are currently in what many Christians have referred to as “Holy Week” or the “Great Week.” The phrase “Holy Week” appears to have been first used by 4th century Christian figures such as Athanasius, but even before this time key moments in the Easter week were distinctively commemorated by Christians. It marks the final period of Lent in Lenten calendars. The marking of certain time periods as having special sacred significance is a ubiquitous feature of religion, Christian and otherwise. For those from Christian traditions that do not tend to talk in liturgical ways, references to “Lent” or “Holy Week” may be less common, but even in these Christian forms the significance of “Good Friday” and “Easter” often stands out. It is not that God is less involved in our daily lives during other periods, or that any moment is “less sacred” than days that are identified literally as Holidays (i.e., Holy Days). In an important sense, as we live our lives before the eye of the omnipotent, ever present Holy God of Love, no moment is truly profane. But the marking off certain moments and locations as having special significance in both time and space serves important spiritual and other functions in human existence. God has made us creatures for whom this is the case. 

Research shows that humans operate with two broadly different types of thinking process. One type of thinking is fast and more automatic, requiring little conscious focus or effort. We drive home by an often-traveled route with little recollection of whole blocks we may have driven down on any particular day, unless something unusual stands out. It is not that way when we are first learning a route. Novel tasks, particularly tasks dissimilar from those we are used to performing require a lot of mental focus and controlled thinking. If navigating sacred moments and spaces become “automatic,” their impact on us can be similarly shifted to the background of our awareness. Jesus cautioned against the practice of engaging in vain, repetitive prayers (viz., Matthew 6:7) as though the simple repetition of words would somehow compel divine response. But the fervent prayers of the righteous “avail much” (James 5:16) when our devotion is done “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). 

Taking time and marking out space to deliberately focus on the sacred significance of this Easter season can help us redeem the mundane moments of daily existence by recentering on the works and being of the One who sustains all moments and places. To that end, let us briefly recount days of Holy week according to the most commonly recounted Christian understandings:

• Palm Sunday—the day that Jesus triumphally entered Jerusalem, fulfilling the ancient prophecy of Zechariah 9:9.
• Monday—the day Jesus cleared the temple.
• Tuesday—Jesus delivers messages on the Mount of Olives (the Olivet discourse).
• Holy Wednesday—A period of rest in the midst of the Sacred week. Some believe Jesus spent this day in nearby Bethany where he had previously raised Lazarus from the dead.
• Maundy Thursday—the Passover meal, Gethsemane prayer, and betrayal by Judas.
• Good Friday—Trial, death, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus. 
• Holy Saturday—Jesus remains buried in the tomb.
• Easter—Jesus rises from the dead.

Countless applications and vitally significant spiritual lessons have been drawn from each of these sacred moments. For instance, CBN CEO Gordon Robertson gave us a powerful reflection on the significance of Gethsemane during a recent chapel service. I encourage you to slow down and give deliberate focus to the lessons God has for you during this time. Let the oft repeated phrase “He is Risen” be more than phrase but a declaration of awakened faith and appreciation for who God is, what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do in our lives.