New Calvary Baptist Church
610 South Heald Street - Wilmington, DE. 19801
Holy Week
April 2026
“Tracing the Steps of Holy Week “ – Part 1 - April 1, 2026
Introduction
Holy Week stands as the most sacred and transforming period in the Christian faith. It captures the final days of Jesus’ earthly ministry - from His triumphant entry into Jerusalem to His sacrificial death on Calvary’s cross. What we call Holy Week stands as the most profound and pivotal passage in all of Scripture, a span of days in which eternity’s greatest story unfolded step by step. From the shouts of “Hosanna!” that echoed through the streets of Jerusalem to the solemn silence at Calvary, each moment reveals more of God’s redemptive love and the costly obedience of His Son. In Part 1 we want to examine:•The Triumphant Entry•The Cleansing of the Temple•The Last SupperThis study will trace those sacred footsteps, inviting us to reflect not only on the historical events but on the spiritual truths they reveal. As we follow Christ’s journey from Hosanna to Calvary, our hearts should be stirred toward deeper gratitude, clearer faith, and renewed devotion to the One Who gave Himself for us all.
1. The Triumphal Entry: (Matthew 21:1–11)
2. Cleansing the Temple: (Matthew 21:12–17)
3. The Last Supper: (Luke 22:14–20)
“Tracing the Steps of Holy Week “ – Part 2 - April 2, 2026
Introduction
Part 2 of our study, “Tracing the Steps of Holy Week,” moves from the crowds and public moments of Jesus’ ministry into the shadows - places of pressure, betrayal, and sacrificial love. In Part 1, we followed Him through the Triumphal Entry, the Cleansing of the Temple, and the intimacy of the Last Supper; now we step into Gethsemane’s crushing weight of loneliness, Betrayal, the injustice of His Trials, and the depth of love poured out at the Cross.In Gethsemane, we see Jesus facing the ultimate “cup moment,” where obedience means embracing suffering rather than escaping it, modeling for believers what it means to surrender to the Father’s will under intense emotional and spiritual strain. The betrayal and trials that follow uncover both the darkness of human sin and the bright hope of God’s redemptive purpose, as the innocent Christ is condemned by corrupt religious and civil powers that still echo in our own unjust systems today. At Calvary, that journey reaches its climax: the veil is torn, access to God is opened, and the crucified Christ reveals a love so costly and powerful that it reshapes how we understand guilt, mercy, justice, and our calling to stand through suffering in His name.As we enter Part 2, we are not merely observing ancient events; we are asking how Gethsemane, the trials, and the crucifixion speak into our own “cup” decisions, our failures and injustices, and our call to live as people of the cross in a world still in desperate need of Christ’s redeeming love.
4. Gethsemane: (Matthew 26:36–46)
5. The Betrayal and Trials: (Matthew 26:47–27)
6. The Crucifixion: (Matthew 27:27–54)
Conclusion
Holy Week invites every believer to walk alongside Jesus, through the praises of Palm Sunday, the tears in Gethsemane, and the shadows of Calvary. His passion reveals not only the depth of our sin but also the magnitude of God’s grace. As we reflect on these events, may our hearts echo both the cry of repentance and the song of gratitude: “Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain” (Revelation 5:12).