From Palm Sunday to Resurrection: Living in the Power of Belonging and Hope

Living the Way of Jesus Through Holy Week

This Sunday at Myrtle House Community Church, Ellen Chapman brought a powerful Palm Sunday message, drawing together the heart of our Growing Together series through the journey of Holy Week. From belonging to prayer, from discipleship to mission and leadership, we were reminded that all these areas are deeply connected—and all find their fullest expression in the life of Jesus.

At the centre of the message was a simple but profound truth: belonging to God changes everything. When we stop striving to find our place in the world and instead rest in our identity in Christ, it transforms how we live and how we love others. Belonging is not something we earn—it’s something we receive. And from that secure place, we begin to reflect God’s love to those around us.

Holy Week gives us a clear picture of what this looks like in practice. From Palm Sunday through to Easter Sunday, we see Jesus living out the very things we’ve been exploring as a church. Even in His final days, He was teaching, serving, leading, and loving with purpose.

We see leadership through service as Jesus washes His disciples’ feet, showing that true leadership is not about status but humility. We see courage and conviction as He stands for truth, even when it brings opposition. In the Garden of Gethsemane, we witness complete surrender, as Jesus chooses obedience to the Father’s will above all else.

Perhaps most strikingly, we see unconditional love and forgiveness. Even in betrayal and denial, Jesus continues to love. Even on the cross, He chooses forgiveness. This is the kind of love we are called to carry—costly, sacrificial, and without exception.

Holy Week also teaches us about resilience in suffering. Jesus shows us that pain, when held with purpose, can lead to transformation rather than despair. And in the silence of the Saturday, we are reminded that even when God seems quiet, He is still at work.

Then comes the resurrection—the ultimate declaration of hope. Easter Sunday reminds us that darkness does not have the final word. Death is not the end. In God’s Kingdom, there is always renewal, always new life, always a future filled with possibility.

Ellen encouraged us to remember that everything Jesus modelled, we are invited to live out too. A life rooted in belonging leads to a life marked by love, service, courage, surrender, and hope.

As we reflect on Holy Week, may we not just remember the story—but step into it. Living each day with the same heart as Jesus, grounded in who we are in Him, and confident that no matter what we face, hope is always on the horizon.