Cheering, clapping, and looking shocked. Mision control photos from last week’s successful completion of the Artemis II moon flyby show those joyous reactions as NASA scientists and engineers experienced the same wonderful event in different ways. That’s also how it was for the disciples after the resurrection.

John’s Gospel (John 20:19‑31) describes how the disciples handled the news of Jesus rising from the dead. Each disciple responded to the same wonderful thing in a different way. There was elation and there was uncertainty. One disciple—who became known as Doubting Thomas—said he would not believe unless he could see the wounds in Jesus’s hands and side.

In reality, Thomas wasn’t doubtful. He was afraid the Risen Christ was too good to be true, so he guarded his heart. Thomas couldn’t accept Jesus was alive until he had physical proof. Thomas needed to see for himself.

Jesus didn’t chastise Thomas for not believing. Jesus provided the comfort Thomas needed to accept the miracle of the resurrection instead, telling him to touch the wounds from the crucifixion. With that comfort, Thomas’s shock moved to acceptance, and he became the first one to call Jesus God.

We’re no different than Thomas. We can experience God and feel it’s too good to be true. Accepting the resurrection can be a struggle, and we too, need comfort from Jesus to help us believe our own eyes and our senses.

And here we are. It’s Holy Week, the days leading up to Easter. Palm Sunday begins the final pages in the story of Jesus, and things are getting exciting.

After three years of teaching, healing, and performing miracles in the country, Jesus decided to go to the big city of Jerusalem. As with most things Jesus did, his arrival was full of symbolic meaning. Like emperors returning from victorious battles, Jesus rode into town on an animal and was welcomed by a cheering crowd. But Jesus wasn’t sitting on a great war horse; his ride was a colt or a donkey. The crowd was so excited to see Jesus, they made a carpet for him with their clothing and palm branches. God had come for them, and they saw the Lord’s glory.

After his arrival, Jesus went straight to the temple. He spent Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, teaching. That’s not all. Jesus drove out the money-changers, a woman anointed him with expensive oil, and he foretold his death and resurrection. During those three days, the religious leaders tried to entrap Jesus by asking him tricky questions. They plotted to get rid of him.

On Thursday, the Passover celebration began. Jesus gathered with his disciples, including the one who would betray him, to pray and share a meal with bread and wine. After supper, they went to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus prayed fervently—he knew what was coming. The disciples fell asleep—they didn’t understand what was about to happen. Then soldiers arrived and dragged Jesus away.

On Friday morning, Jesus was convicted in a Roman court. His disciples had run away. Every person Jesus healed, taught, and fed had abandoned him. The people who cheered Jesus’s arrival just a few days before turned their backs on him. After beatings and a torturous journey to a place called Golgotha, executioners crucified Jesus on a cross. When Jesus died, the sky went dark, the earth rumbled, the temple curtain tore apart, and the people realized they had failed God.

When it was over, caretakers placed Jesus’s body in a tomb and rolled a stone in front of the entrance. Because sundown and Passover were approaching, there was no time for burial preparations. On Sunday morning, the women went to the tomb to finish the burial and what they saw made no sense. The stone was rolled away. There was no body. And then an angel appeared with the best news ever—Jesus was alive. Jesus rose from the dead, just like he said.

The story of Holy Week is filled with highs and lows. During Holy Week, we recall the final pages of Jesus’s story in real time and we remember how God still comes for us today and every day.

Eight centuries before the birth of Christ, the Prophet Isaiah had a thing or two to say about how we live our lives. Chapters 56-66 of the Book of Isaiah are addressed to the Israelites who have returned home to devastation in Jerusalem, after the Babylonian exile. With generations of banishment ended, they need to rebuild their lives, their community, and what it means to be a God follower.

When they returned to Jerusalem, the Israelites were no longer bound by the restrictions of exile. Humans don’t always handle freedom wisely, however, so God gave them instructions. First, God told the Israelites to fight injustice and workplace exploitation, to free the oppressed, to cancel debits, and to feed, clothe, and shelter those in need. This guidance has been enacted into law through civil rights, bankruptcy, and labor legislation, along with programs such as SNAP benefits and Section 8 Housing.

In addition to advising the Israelites on how to care for others, God also provided instruction on we all are to live our lives. Eliminate unfair practices, victim blaming, and gossip, and share generously with the hungry and down-and-out. Consistently following these instructions isn’t easy. Manipulation and victim shaming still occur, and judgey Christians continue to point out others’ sins.

There is work for us to do as we strive to live as God’s faithful representatives. When we heed the same instructions that God gave the newly freed Israelites, others will identify us as God followers. With the example of how we conduct our lives, we will be known for our ability to make community livable through restoration, rebuilding, and renovation.