All In A Days Grace

  Holy Week is much more than just a calendar lead-up to a holiday; it is the heartbeat of the Christian faith. To truly feel the joy of Easter Sunday, we have to sit in the tension, the dust, and the shadows of the days that came before it.   Imagine Jerusalem during this week. It wasn't a quiet, religious sanctuary; it was a pressure cooker. Because of Passover, the city’s population had swelled from about 50,000 to hundreds of thousands. People were squeezed into every available room, camping on hillsides, and lining the streets. There were three distinct perspectives colliding:   The Jewish Pilgrims: Jewish pilgrims traveled to Jerusalem for Passover from across Judea, Galilee, and the Diaspora, including Syria, Asia Minor, North Africa, and Babylonia. They were there to celebrate God’s past deliverance from Egypt, many hoping Jesus was the new King who would deliver them from Rome.   The Religious Leaders: They were terrified. The crowds were volatile,...