Good News Inspiration for Daily Life
Bulletin Insert for April 2, 2023.
Description: For Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday), reflect on the meaning of the word “passion”; it has powerful implications. Theologically, we use it to describe the suffering love that Jesus endured for each of us when he was beaten, mocked and crucified as he willingly took onto himself the punishment and destructive forces of our sins.
The world counterfeits the word “passion” by applying it to strong feelings of romantic, even lustful, attraction. We also use this word to refer to a strong motivation to do something that we enjoy or care about, and thus we can say that Jesus cared “passionately” about us while enduring The Passion. The strong love that Jesus exhibited in his ministry and on Good Friday is a lesson on what it means to have “compassion” for others. We walk with them in their sufferings; we “suffer with” them. This is passionate love in its holiest form.
For discussion groups such as RCIA and Small Christian Communities (SCC), this handout asks:
- Looking at Isaiah 50:4-7, what are some of the ways that good Christians sometimes beat on Jesus, pluck his beard, and spit on him?
- How does your answer to #1 explain why Jesus emptied himself for you, as Philippians 2:6-11 describes?
- In what ways does the Passion of Jesus (in Matthew 26:14–27:66) minister to us in our sufferings today?
Ideas for use: Bulletin insert for the Passion Sunday, adult education, Lenten faith sharing groups, RCIA class, etc.
Lenten resources for individual, private use can be found free on our non-profit site, Good News Ministries.