Holy Week Summary

Here is a Holy Week summary beginning with Lazarus Saturday and ending with the Paschal Resurrection, integrating the major liturgical commemorations, the Gospel events, and the timeline of Judas’ betrayal, Christ’s Passion, and Resurrection, along with key scriptural citations for reference:

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Lazarus Saturday (John 11:1–45)

Holy Week begins with Christ raising Lazarus from the dead, a miracle that prefigures His own Resurrection. Lazarus had been dead four days, yet Christ calls him forth from the tomb, revealing His divine authority over death and foreshadowing the universal resurrection. This event intensifies the plot against Jesus, as the chief priests seek to kill both Him and Lazarus (John 11:47–53).

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Palm Sunday (John 12:12–19; Matthew 21:1–11)

The next day, Christ enters Jerusalem triumphantly, seated on a donkey, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. Crowds greet Him with palm branches, shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!” This joyful acclaim, however, is short-lived. The same city that hails Him as King will soon cry for His crucifixion.

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Holy Monday–Wednesday: Bridegroom Services (Matthew 24–26)

These evenings focus on Christ the Bridegroom and the call to spiritual vigilance. Themes include:

• The cursing of the barren fig tree (Matthew 21:18–22)
  
  

• The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1–13)
  
  

• The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30)
  
  

• The Woes to the Pharisees and the prophecy of the Last Judgment
  
  

Judas’ betrayal begins to unfold here. On Wednesday, he secretly agrees to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14–16).

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Holy Thursday – The Mystical Supper (Matthew 26:17–35; John 13–17)

This day commemorates the institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper. Christ washes the disciples’ feet (John 13), offering a model of humility and love. During the meal, Judas’ betrayal is confirmed when Christ says, “What you do, do quickly” (John 13:27).

The evening service includes the 12 Passion Gospels, recounting:

• The Last Supper
  
  

• The prayer in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36–46)
  
  

• Judas’ betrayal with a kiss (Matthew 26:47–50)
  
  

• The arrest of Christ and Peter’s denial (John 18:1–27)
  
  

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Great and Holy Friday – The Crucifixion and Burial

Royal Hours and Vespers (Matthew 27; John 18–19)

In the morning, the Royal Hours recall Christ's suffering through Psalms and prophetic readings.

At Vespers, we remember:

• Christ’s trials before the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:57–68), Pilate, and Herod (Luke 23:6–12)
  
  

• Scourging, mocking, and the crown of thorns (John 19:1–3)
  
  

• The final condemnation by Pilate (John 19:16)
  
  

• Christ’s crucifixion at Golgotha, where He is nailed to the Cross between two thieves (Luke 23:33–49)
  
  

Christ dies on the Cross around the ninth hour (3 PM) (Matthew 27:46–50). His body is taken down and buried by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus (John 19:38–42).

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Holy Saturday – Christ in the Tomb and the Harrowing of Hades (Matthew 27:62–66)

This is a day of quiet expectation and sacred stillness. The Church commemorates Christ’s descent into Hades, where He breaks the gates of death, liberates the righteous of the Old Covenant, and defeats the devil.

“You went down into the tomb, O Immortal One, yet destroyed the power of Hades…” — Holy Saturday Hymn

At the Vesperal Divine Liturgy, the Church celebrates the First Resurrection—the spiritual victory that precedes the bodily Resurrection.

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Pascha – The Resurrection of Christ (Matthew 28:1–10; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20)

At midnight, the Church explodes in joy:

“Christ is Risen from the dead, trampling down death by death…”

The empty tomb is revealed to the Myrrh-bearing Women. The angel declares that Christ is risen. Christ appears to Mary Magdalene (John 20:11–18), to the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–35), and to the apostles in the upper room (John 20:19–29).

His Resurrection is not just a return to life—it is the defeat of death, the beginning of new creation, and the guarantee of our own resurrection.

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Summary Timeline of Key Events and Gospel References:

Event	Day	Gospel References
Raising of Lazarus	Lazarus Saturday	John 11:1–45
Triumphal Entry	Palm Sunday	John 12:12–19; Matthew 21:1–11
Judas' Agreement to Betray	Holy Wednesday	Matthew 26:14–16
Last Supper	Holy Thursday	Matthew 26:17–35; John 13–17
Gethsemane, Arrest	Late Thursday	Matthew 26:36–56
Trials and Peter’s Denial	Early Friday	Matthew 26:57–75; John 18
Crucifixion and Death	Friday Afternoon	Matthew 27:33–50; John 19
Burial in the Tomb	Friday Evening	John 19:38–42
Descent into Hades	Holy Saturday	1 Peter 3:18–19 (Patristic basis); Matthew 27:62–66
Resurrection	Pascha (Sunday)	Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20

As we conclude our journey through the sacred events of Holy Week—from the raising of Lazarus to the glorious light of Christ’s Resurrection—we are reminded that this is not merely a remembrance of the past, but a living participation in the mystery of our salvation. The path Christ walked is the path we are called to follow: a descent into humility, suffering, and self-offering, in order to rise with Him into newness of life.

Each step of Holy Week reveals the depth of God’s love and the cost of our redemption. From Judas’ betrayal to the silence of the tomb, from the anguish in Gethsemane to the joy of the Resurrection, the Church invites us not to observe from afar but to enter in, to be transformed by the Cross, and to emerge with hearts illumined by the Risen Christ.

May this holy journey shape our lives beyond Pascha, as we continue to walk in the light of the Resurrection, proclaiming in word and in deed: Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!