Why Passion Week Matters

For most of my life, I knew the individual stories. I knew the parables, the sermons, and the events surrounding the Savior’s death and Resurrection. Like many Christians, I had heard them taught one at a time over many years. What I did not fully appreciate was how many of those teachings and events occurred during the final week of Jesus Christ’s mortal ministry.

During that final week, Jesus taught the Parable of the Ten Virgins and the Parable of the Talents, delivered the Olivet Discourse, cleansed the temple, confronted the religious leaders, instituted the sacrament at the Last Supper, suffered in Gethsemane, died at Golgotha, and rose again on Easter morning.

Seen separately, they are powerful. Seen together, they tell an even more remarkable story.

Passion Week reveals the growing tension between Jesus and the religious leaders who opposed Him. It highlights the contrasting responses of those who encountered Him—from the crowds who welcomed Him into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to those who stood before Pilate on Friday. Throughout it all, the Savior taught, warned, comforted, and prepared His disciples while fully aware of what awaited Him.

Most importantly, it reveals His character.

Throughout the week, Jesus displayed courage, compassion, patience, and unwavering devotion to His Father. Every event moved Him closer to the cross, yet He never turned aside from the work He had come to accomplish.

Understanding the context of Passion Week transforms familiar stories into a connected narrative. It allows us to see not only what happened, but also why—and what those events teach us about the Savior who willingly gave His life for the world.

That desire to understand Passion Week as a unified story rather than a collection of isolated events led to the creation of this book.

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