This book Palms, Passion, and Resurrection: Holy Week According to Mark's Gospel, is designed to be a devotional resource for those seeking a deeper connection to God in the Lenten season. In each chapter, we journey with Jesus through the events of Holy Week according to the Gospel of Mark.

There are many reasons for using the Gospel of Mark as the primary source for this study. It is the earliest and shortest of the four Gospels and is believed to be a source used by both Matthew and Luke. Mark’s Gospel is set apart due to its portrayal of Christ as a suffering servant. Furthermore, the crucifixion is described in bloody and brutal detail.

Mark’s Gospel moves rapidly, but then slows down during the Passion narrative, devoting six chapters to the last week of Jesus. Mark’s account also chronicles Jesus’ last week in the greatest detail, giving a day-by-day account.

As we walk alongside Jesus during Holy Week, we bear witness to the passion story. We join the crowd’s praises during Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. We witness Jesus cleansing the Temple, overturning the tables, and driving out the money changers. We listen to Jesus’ teachings in the Temple as he addresses some of the religious leader’s questions. We smell the oil that is poured on Jesus’ head during his anointing. We sit with Jesus at the table, alongside the disciples, in the Upper Room during the Last Supper. We pray with Jesus as he agonizes in the Garden of Gethsemane where he is betrayed and arrested. We watch helplessly during Jesus’ trial, crucifixion, and death on the cross. Ultimately, we celebrate Jesus’ victory over death through the resurrection.

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Andrw Curtis Lay is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and is currently serving as the pastor of Carlock and Wesley Memorial Churches in Etowah, Tennessee. He is the author of an Advent book entitiled: Hope for the Holidays: Exploring the Message of Hope in the Christmas Story.