How to Study Passion Week

Where to Begin

Passion Week is best understood as a single, unfolding story rather than a series of individual events. Each day builds upon the one before it, revealing the growing conflict between Jesus and His opponents while preparing His disciples for His approaching sacrifice and Resurrection. Seeing those events in their proper sequence transforms familiar stories into a richer understanding of the Savior's final week.

That realization did not come to me all at once.

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.

Whether you are preparing for a journey to the Holy Land, reviewing places you have visited, or simply seeking a deeper understanding of the Savior's final week, these resources are designed to help Passion Week become a connected and memorable experience.

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Every illustration from the book is also available in the online Passion Week Image Gallery. Images may be viewed at full size, downloaded for personal study or teaching, and are accompanied by the captions found in the book. Many chapters also include related photographs from the Bible Land Images collection that place the events in their historical and geographical setting.

Explore the Passion Week Image Gallery

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