Palm Sunday marks the start of what Christians call Holy Week, or Passion Week. For followers of Jesus, that means that we reflect on the events of that last week leading up to Jesus’s death and resurrection.

It’s always been hard for me.

This year is a little different. I truly feel called to take time to reflect on Holy Week.

How am I to do that?

Some people do it through devotions specifically aimed at that time. Others fast or pray and ask God to impress upon them what Holy Week means to them.

As mentioned above, I’ve always struggled with this. Devotions sometimes feel too confining. I’ve never been good at prayer without journaling. I’ve never been good with fasting (hangry, anyone?). And it’s hard for me to reflect on things without one thing—writing.

This year, that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to take the Scripture associated with Holy Week and really work to see it through the eyes of a bystander during that time period, maybe a girl who was a part of the disciples since we know that many women followed Jesus because He valued them as people.

What do I hope to learn?

My prayer is that I can truly see what went on during that last week of His life, that maybe I can come to an understanding of how truly devastating it was for Jesus to be betrayed by a friend, then deserted by the remainder of his friends, including His best friend, then to suffer the atrocities He suffered upon the Cross. But then to understand the beauty of the Resurrection and what it means.

My prayer too is that the Passion story as told through Scripture will sink into my heart, into my soul. By this point next week, I pray that I’ll have a much better and deeper understanding of the meaning of Easter.

Take some time out this week. Reflect on Easter beyond the springtime and Easter egg hunt. Come sit in the shadow of the cross and truly understand its meaning.

Question: If you’re a follower of Jesus, what do you hope to learn from Holy Week?