The Holy Week and Revelation

The Holy week is a unique time of fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ in His journey of sufferings, death and resurrection. “It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified” (Galatians 3:1, ESV), “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11). The NCV puts it this way, “I want to know Christ and the power that raised him from the dead. I want to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death. Then I have hope that I myself will be raised from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11, NCV).

The Holy Spirit is the one who enlightens our minds and hearts and reveals Christ in us, to comprehend the meaning of Christ’s sufferings, death and resurrection. To have such “revelation”, St. Paul sent a message to the Philippians saying, “I ask the Father in his great glory to give you the power to be strong inwardly through his Spirit. I pray that Christ will live in your hearts by faith and that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. And I pray that you and all God's holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ's love — how wide and how long and how high and how deep [the spiritual dimensions of the cross] that love is” (Ephesians 3:16-18, NCV).

According to rite of the Coptic Orthodox church, we read the whole Book of Revelation on Bright Saturday. That is because the Book of Revelation is the “Revelation of Jesus Christ”. It is “the Book of Life of the Lamb slain” (Revelation 13:8, NKJV). God reveals His plan of redemption in the Book of Revelation. “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3, NKJV).

I encourage you to listen to the following related recent sermons, “The Lamb and the Sealed Scroll”, “Opening the First Four Seals”, “Opening the Fifth Seal” and “Opening the Sixth Seal” in English/Arabic. These sermons have wonderful and simple explanation of what Christ had gone through and the meaning of His suffering, death and resurrection for us. They are posted at: http://www.RevelationFellowship.net I wish you blessed Holy Week and Feast of the Resurrection. God bless you. Pray for me.

In Christ’s love,
Hegumen Fr. Abraam Sleman

Recommended Sermons for the Holy Week