HOLY WEEK 2017
Brett Provance
Holy Week
Palm Sunday through the evening of Holy Saturday
Commemorates the Passion of Jesus Christ Latin passio; cognate to
Greek pathos
The bread, the wine and the ΙΧΘΥΣ
Maundy Thursday
Traceable to the fourth century Emphasis in the Gospel of John on Thursday of Holy
Week: Foot washing and the New Commandment to love one another
(Latin mandatum; John 13:4-5, 34), from which we get “Maundy”
Emphasis of the Synoptic Gospels on Thursday of Holy Week: Communion
The Lord’s Supper established Thus, Communion (Eucharist) is often
celebrated this day Greek eucharistia = “thanksgiving”: verb
form at 1 Corinthians 11:24: “And when he had given thanks . . . ”; cf. Mark 14:23
All ancient representations of the Christian communal meal (the refrigerium) include an image(s) of a fish. There is often a symbolic merging of the Agape (Jude 12), the Lord’s Supper, and the Loaves and Fish (cf. Mark 6:41; 8:6-8)
Good Friday
The atoning death of Jesus Christ for the sins of the world (John 1:29, 36); the Good Shepherd laying his life down for the sheep (John 10:11)
Christ is the Paschal (Passover) Lamb (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:7; Mark 14:12; Revelation 5:6) Passover (Pesach), celebrated by
people of the Jewish faith
Good Friday among Christians is recognized by fasting
Holy Saturday
No events until the night = Christ in the tomb
Matthew 12:40; cf. Jonah 2:1The Jonah theme is greatly popular in the catacomb art. Note that the sea creature is not a whale. The resting
Jonah form is taken from that of Endymion in classical art.
The Paschal Vigil
Begins Saturday night vigil = night watch
Ancient set of rituals (from the 2nd century), now rediscovered in the Western Church
Concludes with the Baptism of Christian initiates And their first Communion
The baptistery of the Dura-Europos House Church (Syria), the earliest verifiable Christian church (3rd century AD). The picture of
the women at the tomb of Jesus relates the believer’s baptism with dying and rising with Christ (cf. Romans 6:3-5)
Easter Sunday
The morning Jesus rose from the dead (Mark 16; Matthew 28; Luke 24; John 20; 1 Corinthians 15:5-6)
Part of the Gospel message: Romans 1:3-4; 6:9; Acts 2:23-24; 4:33; 10:39-41; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
All this encapsulated in The Apostles’ Creed Based on the baptismal creed of the
ancient Roman Christians Latin credo = “I believe”
The Apostles’ Creed I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and
earth, And in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, Our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, And born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into Hell (Greek Hades). The third day He rose again from the dead, Ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the
Father Almighty. From there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, The holy catholic [= “universal”] church, The communion of saints, The forgiveness of sins, The resurrection of the body, And the life everlasting. Amen.
ΙΧΘΥΣ Greek word for “fish” Ancient Christian confessional
acrostic for Jesus: Ι = Jesus (Iēsous)Χ = Christ (Christos)ΘΥ = Son of God (Theou Huios)Σ = Savior (Sōtēr)The word appears in ancient Christian funerary settings, as do images of fish.
“ΙΧΘΥΣ, the Living One”