The scenes of Lent and Holy Week are familiar. Each year we visit the upper room, the Garden of Gethsemane, the halls of Pontus Pilate and the hill of Golgotha. People of the Passion explores the characters who would have been in these familiar places of Holy Week. From Simon the Zealot in the upper room to a Roman soldier observing Jesus’ trial, our midweek worship and Home Groups will explore how Jesus’ presence changes even the most troubling places in the lives of the people of the passion as well as our lives today.
As you use the material below to reflect on the People of the Passion, consider beginning with a simple prayer for the Holy Spirit to open your heart to Jesus’ action and grace for you. Take up the Setting the Theme questions, read the passage for Approaching God’s Word, watch the message and reflect on it using the Digging Deeper questions, close with the prayer for the week, and then meditate on the daily Bible passages listed.
Setting the Theme
Growing up, where did you call home? What makes “home” feel like “home?”
When was the last time you moved? Why did you move? What was the best & worst part of that transition? When did the new place become Home?
Approaching God’s Word
Pray that God would open our hearts and lives to His Word.
Notice how the first half of the reading is focused on how the people prepare for Passover, while the second half is focused on what God is doing.
Read Luke 22:1-13.
Notice how the first half of the reading is focused on how the people are preparing for Passover (!), while the second half is focused on what God is doing through Jesus and His Word.
Engaging the Message
Either in Wednesday evening worship or by YouTube, engage the message for the week. The Space below is intended for your personal notes and refletions.
- The fear of Losing your place
- Fear
- Forces
- Finances
- The Old Evil Foe
- Our Faithful God
- Jesus Prepares a Place for You
Digging Deeper
Discuss one or more of the following with a friend or family member:
How do you or your family usually prepare for Holy Week and Easter? What are you doing this year?
The religious establishment in the Luke 22:1-13 prepared for Passover by plotting a murder. How do you see Fear, Force, Finances, and the Old Evil Foe in this text?
How do you see the interaction of Fear, Force, Finances, and the Old Evil Foe in your experience or your own heart?
Talk about one or more of the following with people who can point you back to Jesus and His love for you.
In the face of these enemies, our faithful God still acts to save His people. Jesus prepares the Passover for His disciples by His Word.
What promise of Jesus prepares your heart and life for what Jesus is doing next?
Jesus is preparing a place for you: how does that affect your thinking and feeling, your prayers and actions this week?
Daily / Word
Sunday Luke 22:1-13
Monday Luke 19:28-32
Tuesday Exodus 12:1-13
Wednesday Psalm 84:1-12
Thursday John 14:1-7
Friday Psalm 42:1-11
Saturday Luke 22:24-32
Prayer for the Week
Jesus, in this season of repentance, I again admit the ways in which fear, force, and finances affect my heart, my relationships, and my walk with you.
(lay personal experiences from your day or week before Jesus)
Guard my heart, mind, and emotions from the influence of the old evil foe. Increase my trust in Your promises. Forgive my sins and calm my fears.
As long as I know You are preparing a place for me, Jesus, I can face whatever happens next. Be near me now and always. Amen.
