No week in history compares to Holy Week. Pastor Kent Keller traces the fulfilled prophecy of Palm Sunday's triumphal entry — the doorway into the cross and the empty tomb that follow it.
There are moments in history that forever alter the course of humanity.
The fall of the Berlin Wall. The moon landing. The end of World War II.
But according to Kent Keller’s powerful Palm Sunday message, no week in history compares to Holy Week—the seven days that began with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and culminated in His resurrection.
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the most significant week the world has ever known.
As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt, the crowds cried out:
“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
This was not merely a historical event. It was the fulfillment of prophecy, the revelation of the Messiah, and the opening scene of God’s redemptive plan for humanity.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Holy Week considered the most important week in history?
Because of what happened in it. The world has had its share of history-altering weeks — the fall of the Berlin Wall, the moon landing, the end of World War II — but none compares to the seven days that began with Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and culminated in His resurrection the following Sunday. As Kent Keller put it in his Palm Sunday message at Christchurch Miami, no other week in history has carried this kind of weight. Holy Week is when prophecy was fulfilled in front of witnesses, when the Messiah was publicly revealed, and when God's redemptive plan for humanity moved from promise to accomplishment. Everything before it pointed forward to it, and everything since has flowed out from it. For Christians, this isn't ancient history — it's the central event of our faith. The cross and the empty tomb are not optional parts of Christianity. They are Christianity.
What does it mean that Jesus's entry into Jerusalem was a fulfillment of prophecy?
It means that the Palm Sunday scene — Jesus riding a colt into Jerusalem while the crowds cried, 'Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' — was not a coincidence and not a piece of staged theater. It was the fulfillment of words spoken centuries earlier by the Hebrew prophets. Jesus deliberately chose a colt because the prophet Zechariah had foretold that Israel's true king would come humbly, riding on a donkey. The crowds' cry 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord' echoes Psalm 118. This was Jesus stepping into the role the Old Testament had been describing all along: the long-awaited Messiah. It was also the opening scene of God's redemptive plan — the revelation of who Jesus really is, in a city that would crucify Him by Friday and find an empty tomb by Sunday. Holy Week is not improvisation. It's a plan unfolding exactly on time.
Why does the title 'It's Sunday, But Friday Is Coming' matter?
The title turns a familiar Easter saying inside-out. You've probably heard the phrase 'It's Friday, but Sunday's coming' — the reminder that crucifixion gives way to resurrection. But Palm Sunday flips the order. On the first day of Holy Week, Jesus was being welcomed as a king. The crowds were waving palm branches and shouting 'Hosanna!' It was Sunday. And yet Jesus knew that this Sunday was leading directly to Friday — to the cross, to suffering, to death. The triumphal entry was not the destination; it was the doorway. Holy Week reminds us that the path to resurrection runs straight through crucifixion. You don't get Easter without Good Friday. For Christians, that's not just a fact about Jesus — it's a pattern for the Christian life. The road to glory runs through suffering. The way up is the way down. It's Sunday now, but Friday is coming, and Sunday is coming after that.
