Why Holy Week is the most important week of the church year
Every service, every sermon, every small group conversation during Holy Week is building toward the same moment: Easter Sunday. The question is whether your church arrives there having actually inhabited the week, or whether you skipped from Palm Sunday to resurrection in one jump.
The daily Holy Week series from Jesus Film Project is built for churches that want to take the full journey. Eight short films, one for each day. Each is 5 to 10 minutes long. You show one, you sit quietly for a moment, you ask one question. That's the whole format. No preparation, no extra materials, no expertise required.
Holy Week 2026 dates
The Holy Week series — one film per day
Eight videos. Each follows a single day of the final week of Jesus' life. The full series is available on the Holy Week series page with all videos and day-by-day discussion questions.
Here's what the week looks like, and how to use each day:
Jesus enters Jerusalem to crowds and celebration. A strong opening for the week — the contrast with what follows is where the power lies.
Jesus clears the temple. Useful for conversations about what matters to Jesus — and what doesn't.
Jesus teaches in the temple courts. Good for small group discussion on faith, authority, and what Jesus actually claimed.
No recorded events. A day of waiting. A useful moment to ask: what do we do with silence before something significant?
The Last Supper and Gethsemane. The most intimate moment of the week. Works especially well combined with a shared meal.
The central moment. Consider using My Last Day (30 min anime, see below) for a longer Good Friday gathering instead of or alongside this video.
The waiting. A short film for a day that is often overlooked — but theologically important. What does Saturday feel like for people who don't know Sunday is coming?
The central claim of Christianity. A strong video to start your Easter Sunday service with before the talk. Short, visual, and clear.
How to use it: Show the video at the start of your gathering. Allow 30 seconds of quiet. Then ask one question. You don't need to have answers ready. Let the group sit with it. The film does the preparation for you.
Good Friday: My Last Day
For Good Friday specifically, My Last Day is the strongest film available. It's 30 minutes, anime format, and it tells the crucifixion from the point of view of the repentant thief crucified beside Jesus. It's not what people expect — and that's precisely what makes it land so hard.
The crucifixion told through the eyes of the repentant thief. An anime format that reaches people emotionally before they have a chance to put their defences up. The most effective Good Friday film for small groups, youth groups, and open church evenings.
View film page →Discussion questions for Good Friday
- What surprised you about this film?
- The thief did nothing to earn what he was given. How does that feel to you?
- What does Jesus' response to him say about who Jesus is?
- If this moment is true — what does it change?
- Is there anything you find hard to accept forgiveness for?
Maundy Thursday: The Last Supper
Maundy Thursday is a natural moment to gather around food. If your church runs a shared meal or communion service on this night, consider opening with the Holy Week video for Thursday and using the discussion questions as a framework for the conversation around the table.
The Last Supper video is short enough to show in the middle of a meal, and the questions it raises about sacrifice, friendship, and what Jesus was actually saying are immediately relevant to the act of eating together.
For a Maundy Thursday meal: Show the video, break bread together, then ask: "What do you think Jesus was trying to communicate that night?" That one question can carry the whole evening.
Palm Sunday: starting the week well
Palm Sunday is your first chance to frame the week ahead. The triumphal entry video gives your congregation a visual and emotional anchor at the start of Holy Week. It works well as the opening to a Sunday service before the sermon, or as a standalone discussion starter for a Palm Sunday evening group.
The contrast between Palm Sunday celebration and Good Friday grief is something most people understand intellectually but rarely sit with emotionally. The video helps. Let it play, then ask: "What's it like to celebrate someone who you know is about to suffer?"
Using Holy Week resources with youth groups
The Holy Week series works well with secondary school youth groups — each video is short enough to hold attention and focused enough to open a real conversation. My Last Day is particularly strong for Good Friday youth events: the anime format removes the barrier that makes teenagers disengage from traditional church content.
For younger teens, show it without much introduction. For older groups, you can frame it briefly: "We're watching a 30-minute short film about the day Jesus died, told from an unusual angle." Then press play. The conversation afterwards tends to take care of itself.
See the dedicated free Christian films for youth groups page for more recommendations.
Planning Holy Week in your church
Keep it simple
The most effective Holy Week programmes are not the most elaborate ones. Pick two or three moments in the week where you can gather — Sunday morning, a Good Friday service, an evening group — and use one video for each. That's all. Don't try to cover everything. The quality of one honest conversation beats the quantity of seven rushed ones.
Invite people specifically
Don't just announce it from the front. Text someone. Email a friend. Say "I'm watching a 30-minute film on Good Friday evening — would you come?" Specific invitations work. Announcements don't.
Register as a partner
If you're using JFP resources regularly with your church or group, register as a Jesus Film Project partner. It's free and gives you access to fuller discussion guides and follow-up resources for ongoing discipleship. See the churches page to register.