I participated in a Holy Week Walk this year.
In the same spirit as a “Living Nativity” (which we did at Christmas), our church designed a half-hour walk to show four key scenes from Jesus’s life.
Jesus ministered to people during that last week of his life.
We wanted to demonstrate what that looked like–by using four short sketches of key scenes.
We were all amateur actors, but telling the story meant a lot to us–and the people who watched.
Palm Sunday
We didn’t bring a donkey or mobs of people.
Instead, at the check-in booth, volunteers gave each visitor a palm branch.
A photo booth, decorated with palms provided a place to get into the rejoicing spirit.
Led by a Biblical-scene-costumed guide carrying a bluetooth speaker, guests began their Holy Week Walk to the first scene: the Last Supper.
Last Supper
Ours is a small church and no families had 13 men to volunteer for the dinner.
So, we made do with a three-generation family of five men to represent the dozen who joined Jesus on that night.
A maidservant narrated the five-minute scene, observing what she’d seen:
I’d brought the water and towels, the leader Jesus, used to wash the feet of this dirty band of a dozen men. It surprised me the man they all seemed to honor would get on his knees to remove their sandals and scrub their filthy feet.
Yet, he did that.
As she moved among the men, filling cups, passing food platters, the narration recorded what went through her mind.
She heard the men muttering, saw Judas bolt, and stopped in surprise to hear Jesus talk about the Kingdom of God.
Guests saw all the main action–bread, wine, and prayer.
The maidservant reflected:
Jesus didn’t answer any questions I might have asked. He nodded toward his friends, “Come, let us go.”
As I watched them go into the cool night, I felt sad to see them go, but also hopeful. Who could overcome such a man, and at Passover no less?
Was he another Moses?”
Garden of Gethsemane
Told from St. Peter’s point of view, this scene found Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, asking his disciples to pray with him.
When Andrew yawned, a big noisy yawn, Jesus opened his eyes to look at us. “Can you not pray with me for one hour?”
“Of course, we can,” I insisted. But then I yawned and swayed on my knees.
The next thing I knew, Jesus touched my shoulder. We heard a noisy crowd coming our way.
Among that mob, the High Priest’s servant grabbed Jesus.
Peter rose to the occasion and sliced off the servant’s ear.
Jesus healed it and was led away.
Just like people on the Holy Week Walk.
At the Cross
There, a Roman soldier watched a white shrouded body carried off on a stretcher, before addressing the crowd.
Even my hardened soldiers couldn’t imagine what this man had done to justify such torture, and then they ordered us to escort him up to this monstrous place, Golgotha—the Place of a Skull.”
He described the events that dreadful day at Calvary, reflecting on the horror for Jesus’ mother, Mary, watching her son die.
He gestured to the cross as he spoke, and then turned to leave.
Oh, one more thing. The thief on the left heckled that Jesus, shouting and making fun of him. The other one drew himself up and shouted back, ‘We deserve what we get, but this man doesn’t.”
He asked Jesus to remember him when Jesus got to heaven. Jesus told him he’d be with him in heaven tonight.
Tonight. I guess they’re both in heaven right now.
Then the soldier remembered the earthquake right after Jesus said “it is finished.”
“Yeah. That Jesus. Truly, he was the Son of God.”
Holy Week Walk ends at the empty tomb
Empty tomb.
My favorite scene involved the two angels at Jesus’s tomb.
Told from the Archangel Michael’s point of view, it described the angels’ joy.
The scene also put the whole story into context:
The entire angelic choir had waited for centuries for this great moment, ever since that dreadful day the first man and the first woman decided they wanted to be like God, rather than to know and love God.
A quick description of how the angels watched God send angels to protect, guide, and lead men and women.
They reminded viewers of that night they rode chariots against the Syrian army and only Elisha saw them.
And the triumphant joy of Jesus’ birth in Bethelehem.
They also sniggered remembering the look on the High Priest’s face when they tore the temple curtain in two.
The rest of the story unfolded as all know: the women came to the tomb and Jesus greeted them.
Honestly, I got choked up every time I watched this scene..
Peter rushed in to look in the empty tomb and shout “hallelujah, He’s alive!”
And then the angels swaggered off to catch the last bit of action: Jesus on the road to Emmaus, explaining all.
What else happened during Holy Week?
I’ve written a number of posts on this subject.
Why Raise Lazarus from the Dead?
Jesus’ Ministry During Holy Week
What does it take to Kill Jesus?
Tweetables
How a small church acted a Holy Week Walk. Click to Tweet
What were the main scenes of Jesus’ Holy Week? Click to Tweet
Thoughts? Reactions? Lurker?