For Christians around the world, this week marks perhaps the most important week of the year: Holy Week.  Beginning yesterday, with Palm Sunday and continuing through Holy Saturday, the days of Holy Week follow the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, and the subsequent betrayal, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus as recounted in the four gospels.  Whether or not you and your family celebrate it, understanding Holy Week is important, as it has shaped our culture and our world.

Today, on Holy Monday, Christians often remember the stories of Jesus cursing the fig tree, the anointing of Jesus at Bethany, and the chief priests and elders questioning Jesus’ authority in the temple.  In many ways, these are all stories about skeptics—of those, who don’t believe and like the chief priests and elders, ask the important question: “By what authority are you [Jesus] doing these things?”  Ultimately, the chief priests and elders along with Judas, concluded that Jesus did not have the authority from God that he claimed, eventually leading to his arrest, trial, and crucifixion as a criminal.

In the end, the Easter story starts with the question of who was right.  Holy Monday is, in a way, a reminder of the sentiment that C.S. Lewis expresses in God in the Dock: “‘What are we to make of Christ?’ There is no question of what we can make of Him, it is entirely a question of what He intends to make of us. You must accept or reject the story.”