Holy Week is a special time of the year. It is deeply moving and very celebratory. If people are not normal church attenders they may step into the church at Christmas and Easter. While this is not a spiritually healthy practice, it may be where a person is at. That is why inviting a friend who is not Christian or fallen away Christian to come with you during Holy Week is something to consider.
The heart of God’s story with mankind is Holy Week. Jesus’ death and resurrection is the most relevant event in world history for everyone. People need to know this event. If a friend is willing to go with you to Holy Week services, there are a number of conversation starting points that can be found along the way.
I would suggest inviting them to Palm Sunday rather than just Easter. This is going for the whole package. Palm Sunday often covers much of Holy Week in the readings. Even if your church just does the Palm Sunday story, you have the opportunity to ask about past involvement in Church and understanding of the purpose of Holy Week. Should you find that your friend knows little to nothing about the event, you have the opportunity to fill them in.
Some important points to make in your explanation are:
- Jesus’ death is something known by Jesus, prophesied in the Old Testament and willing done out of love for us
- By becoming a human, the Son of God was able to keep the requirements of God’s law for us. He is the lone sinless human being. Jesus is willfully going to His death so that He can pay our penalty for sin.
- Invite them to come to a Good Friday service, so that they can get the sense of Christ’s great sacrifice. If that isn’t possible, direct them to Matthew 26:36-27:66 and invite them for Easter.
- Ask them if they have questions. Don’t be afraid of a stumper. Refer that question to a pastor. Another great resource is Lee Stroebel’s The Case for Easter. It’s cheap, consider buying it for them.
- Easter is a lot of excitement and joy. It is a perfect time to share your reason for expecting eternal life and what you expect it to be like. If you are not sure, you need to read my other blog: afterdeathsite.com
Giving Christ 