12th April 2025
Liturgy of the Passion
Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors and an object of dread to my closest friends—those who see me on the street flee from me. I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. For I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side!” They conspire against me and plot to take my life. But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.
Psalm 31:9-16 (NIV)
There’s a moment in the Gospel story when Jesus ‘turns His face to Jerusalem.’ It’s a deliberate and resolute decision, knowing full well what lies ahead. He enters the city to cheers and palm branches, a fleeting moment of celebration. Yet, his path is not toward an earthly throne, but toward suffering, rejection, and the cross. Still, Jesus presses forward, fully committed to fulfilling God’s promise to redeem the world.
On Palm Sunday, we are invited to walk with Jesus as he begins the final steps of his earthly journey. His entry into Jerusalem is both triumphant and solemn, a moment that highlights his compassion for humanity and his unwavering submission to his calling. Jesus embraces the suffering that awaits him, not out of resignation, but out of love — love for the people cheering, love for the disciples who don’t fully understand, and love for a world in desperate need of salvation.
Jesus’ decision to turn toward Jerusalem reflects the heart of God’s promise — a promise not to abandon humanity but to save it. Through his compassion and obedience, Jesus fulfilled this promise, facing suffering and death so that we might know life. His journey was not easy. The shouts of ‘Hosanna!’ would soon turn into cries of ‘Crucify him!’ Yet Jesus’ love for humanity never wavered. He carried the weight of our brokenness, walking this path so that we could be reconciled to God.
As we reflect on this moment, we are reminded that Jesus’ compassion and submission were acts of profound strength. He chose to endure suffering, not for his own sake, but for ours. Psalm 31 gives voice to the anguish Jesus would experience, but it also speaks to the trust and hope he carried in his Father’s plan. “I trust in you, Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands.” (vv. 14-15). This trust is the foundation of God’s promise — faithful, unchanging, and fulfilled through Christ.
As we remember Jesus turning his face to Jerusalem, let us reflect on the depth of his compassion and the cost of his obedience. He walked this path for us, fulfilling God’s promise to redeem and restore. May we respond with gratitude and trust, knowing that his journey was one of love — a love that holds us even now.
Prayer
Loving Father, may we follow Jesus with hearts full of trust, knowing that his path to Jerusalem was for us — a fulfilment of God’s promise of redemption and love. Amen.
This study is an amended transcript of an equipping video to empower and inspire Grace Communion International congregations around the world to live and share the gospel. It has been produced by the Home Office Team in Charlotte, NC, USA, and was first published in the 28 February 2025 edition of the Equipper publication.
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