So on the beginning of his final day, Jesus gave us the verbal caption of his last and greatest sermon: вЂњThis is my body, given for you this is my blood, which is poured out for you.вЂќ The language of this sermon was to be вЂњbody language.вЂќ Good Friday, according to Jewish reckoning, actually began at sundown on Holy Thursday. Though Jesus was destined to preach on Good Friday, the message was not to be delivered in words. So the virtual silence of his well-trained tongue was to fulfill Scripture.Д«ut there was another reason for his silence. The opening line of this psalm happens to be вЂњMy God, my God, why have you forsaken me?вЂќ Could it be that the Lord uttered this phrase to remind us that this was all in the plan? The Passion вЂ“ His Greatest Sermon Psalm 22 lays it all out hundreds of years before it happens: his thirst, the piercing of his hands and feet by Gentiles (called вЂњdogsвЂќ by the Jews), and the casting of lots for his clothing. Isaiah 50 had foretold the beating and mockery. Maybe this was to fulfill the Scripture that said вЂњlike a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouthвЂќ (Isaiah 53: 7b).ДЄctually, everything that happened in these fateful hours fulfilled Scripture. His words had mesmerized the crowds, intrigued Herod and even made Pilate stop and think.ДЄll the gospels point out that he said very little during his passion, collecting only seven brief statements from the cross. He did indeed have a вЂњwell-trained tongueвЂќ (Is. He was willing to endure the sting of sin to blot out sin, and was eager to face death in order to overcome it. He barreled through barriers that usually stop us dead in our tracksвЂ“fear of ridicule, fear of suffering, abandonment by our closest companions. He was on a mission and nothing would deter him. In fact, Paul tells us that He had willingly emptied Himself of heavenly glory in pursuit of His true passion вЂ“ His Fathers will and our salvation (Phil. He had no illusions of grandeur or ambition for worldly glory. He was not fooled by all the acclamation and fanfare. The gospels tell us that he knew the human mind and heart all too well. Of course, he was not surprised in the least. Their cries of вЂњ HosannaвЂќ turned to shouts of a very different kind: вЂњ Crucify him!вЂќДЄbove image by an unknown artist. But as soon as the tide began to turn, so did they. TheyвЂ™d been wowed by his sermons, fed with loaves and fishes, healed of their diseases, delivered of their demons. So there are two names for the same day: Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday.ДЇor the same crowd that was cheering during the parade into Jerusalem was jeering a few days later. Mel GibsonвЂ™s film did us a favor in reminding us how shockingly brutal the whole business really was. It is a festive affair, complete with a parade route strewn with palm branches instead of ticker tape.Д«ut we quickly progress to the stark reading of JesusвЂ™ passion, bearable only because we already know its happy ending.

It starts with an upbeat gospel recounting JesusвЂ™ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We now come to the Sunday with a split personality. TO HEAR THIS POST READ BY THE AUTHOR, CLICK THE ARROW ABOVE Though it celebrates the KingвЂ™s triumphal entry into Jerusalem amidst hosannas, the parade leads straight to the Lord JesusвЂ™ suffering and death on Calvary. But for the Roman Catholic Church it is also Passion Sunday during which all stand for readings and meditations from the passion account. Passion Sunday - The Sunday before Easter, Palm Sunday, is observed by virtually all Christians.

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The passion demons song