WASHINGTON (BP) — President Donald Trump spent more than three hours with Christian pastors and ministry leaders marking the importance of Holy Week during a White House event on Wednesday night (April 16).
California pastor Greg Laurie called the event “memorable” and said on social media that the president “shared some powerful words about the importance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ — and the hope we have because of it.”
Trump drew from the biblical account of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as he spoke on the importance of Easter weekend.
Franklin Graham, Paula White and Jentezen Franklin were among the speakers at Wednesday night’s event.
Familiar Southern Baptist worship leader Charles Billingsley provided music, singing “Down from His Glory” and an a cappella rendition of “The Lord’s Prayer.”
Laurie shared a verse from the book of Esther and led a prayer during the event.
Trump’s remarks reflected on Christ’s death and Resurrection.
“Nearly 2,000 years ago during this sacred week, the living Son of God entered Jerusalem in triumph,” Trump said. “Soon after the Savior of mankind, who brought truth and light into the world, was betrayed, arrested and tried and beaten and nailed to a cross and crucified. For our sake, He gave up His life.”
Christ’s crucifixion was God saying to the world, “I love you,” Trump said, quoting late evangelist Billy Graham.
“Three days later, Christ’s followers found the empty tomb,” he continued. “Jesus had defeated darkness and death and promised new life to all of humankind. And that’s what we celebrate each year at Easter, as we joyfully proclaim on Sunday, ‘He is Risen.’”
Earlier in the week, in an April 13 statement, Trump said, “During this sacred week, we acknowledge that the glory of Easter Sunday cannot come without the sacrifice Jesus Christ made on the cross. In His final hours on Earth, Christ willingly endured excruciating pain, torture and execution on the cross out of a deep and abiding love for all His creation. Through His suffering, we have redemption. Through His death, we are forgiven of our sins. Through His Resurrection, we have hope of eternal life. On Easter morning, the stone is rolled away, the tomb is empty and light prevails over darkness — signaling that death does not have the final word.”
Trump called for a prayer “for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our beloved nation,” and that “… America will remain a beacon of faith, hope and freedom for the entire world, and we pray to achieve a future that reflects the truth, beauty and goodness of Christ’s eternal kingdom in heaven.”
The president said his administration was using Holy Week to renew “its promise to defend the Christian faith in our schools, military, workplaces, hospitals and halls of government. We will never waver in safeguarding the right to religious liberty, upholding the dignity of life and protecting God in our public square.”
