Believers who grew up hearing the stories of Holy Week find that its familiarity can rob it of its force. At our worst, we treat the events in Jesus’ last week as mere chapters in a book we’ve grown to consider a comfort rather than a disturbance.
One way Christians make afresh the events of Holy Week is through art. Visuals of Jesus washing Peter’s feet, or of Judas walking away from the Last Supper, money bag in hand, remind us of all the complex experiences and motives real people have. They also allow us to experience the heightened emotions of such events, as we imagine, for example, the shock of Jesus’ announcement that his followers would desert him in his final hours. The following images, a collection of art spanning time, geography, and culture, allow viewers to have a seat around the table in the Upper Room, listening and watching as Jesus reveals what’s to come in the hours leading up to his death.
Click here to view the slideshow.
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Related Elsewhere:
Last Supper, a collection of more than 100 depictions of the Last Supper, is available from Amazon.com and other retailers.
A Time for My Singing is available from Overseas Ministry Study Center.
The Illustrated Bible has chronologically arranged art about Bible passages, including the events of Holy Week.
Other articles about Holy Week and Easter are available on our site.
Last year, Christianity Today‘s Holy Week slideshow incorporated elements of the Stations of the Cross.
