BibleHow do you celebrate Holy Week? Many Christians like to celebrate Palm Sunday and then skip over the week and go straight to Easter. Who could blame them; both are celebrations of positive, upbeat things. Palm Sunday is the celebration of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey.You can find the full story in Mark 11:1-11.

Did you ever wonder why He rode in on a donkey colt? I have to admit, I did until a few years ago. My senior pastor shared that donkey colts were reserved for kings; therefore, by Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey colt He was telling everyone He was a king. This was just more fuel for the fire for the Pharisees and Sadducee who wanted Him dead.

The Easter story is found in Mark 16:1-8, where the women bring spices for the burial ritual only to find Jesus gone. We all celebrate and cry out, “He is Risen!” But what about the verses in between? What do we do with them?

We’d all like to forget what happened between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, because it’s the bad and the ugly of the whole week. Just in the Gospel of Mark, we have:

  • Jesus’ authority questioned [Mark 11:27-33]
  • Jesus having the Last Supper with the disciples where He predicts the betrayal [Mark 14:12-26]
  •  Jesus being arrested [Mark 14:43-51]
  • a bogus trial and physical abuse [Mark 14:53-65]
  • a close friend disowning Him [Mark 14:66-72]
  • mocking Him as king [Mark 15:16-20]
  • His crucifixion and death [Mark 15:21-41].

Without the crucifixion, there’d be no resurrection and without the resurrection, there’d be no celebration. Some say what happens in the in between times is the best part, because without it, there’d be no victory.

Just as He promises to work all things together for good in Romans 8:28, God used the crucifixion for good. Satan thought he was winning by having Jesus crucified, but it was all part of God’s original plan.

Each of us have to go through some bad things in life [John 16:33]. Thankfully, we don’t have to live there permanently, rather, we just pass through [Psalm 23:4]. But God will used the bad things for our benefit and the end result we amaze us all.

Are you in a tough spot right now? Find Jesus in the midst of it and hold on tight. He’s there. You don’t have to take my word for it. He promise you never to leave you nor forsake you [Deuteronomy 31:6, 8]. When you find Him, hold tight, because He will carry you into victory.