Underlying Meaning of Spring Break

(The Beginning of Holy Week Pt. 1)

Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread called the Passover, was approaching, ² and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. Luke 22:1-2.

As the coldness of winter begins to die, and the buds of spring peek through, the excitement of spring break is heard everywhere. There is the anticipation of leaving the darkness and gloominess of winter and entering into a phase of light, happiness, and newness. During spring break,  students flock to the beaches for a week of fun with friends and family. Interestingly, spring break for most people occurs the week before Easter or the following week. It is also the beginning of Holy Week which is the commemoration of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem by Christ on Palm Sunday.

¹² The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. ¹³ They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

¹⁴ Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

¹⁵ “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
    see, your king is coming,
    seated on a donkey’s colt.”   

¹⁶ At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. John 12:12-16.

The significance of spring break is the timing that we are shedding the old (winter) and walking with great confidence and anticipation into the newness (spring). Isn’t that similar to what Holy Week is all about? Aren’t we being given the opportunity to walk away from the weight and darkness of sin into a new life through Jesus Christ? 

The rest of the week is followed by Holy Monday, and Holy Tuesday where Jesus spends time with the disciples. Spy Wednesday is the middle of the week which marks the betrayal by Judas. Matthew 26:14-16 states, “Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.”

Reflect on these questions. How do we choose to honor those that have poured into us and given unconditionally? How do we honor those whose loyalty is unwavering and those who are willing to lay down their lives for us? What is their worth? Is it worth 30 pieces of silver or more? At the end of the day, what is the cost of betrayal?

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