March 29

(Palm Sunday) 

The Way Set Before Him (Evening Only) 

Scripture Reading: Luke 9:51 

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 

Evening Reflection 

Holy Week begins quietly. 

There are no crowds here. No palm branches. No shouting. 

Just a sentence. 

“He set his face to go to Jerusalem.” 

Luke is telling us something important. Jesus does not drift into this week. He is not pushed by events or trapped by momentum. He chooses this road. 

Jerusalem is not unknown to Him. Jesus understands what waits there. Rejection. Conflict. Betrayal. Suffering. Death. He has already spoken about it with His disciples. None of it is a surprise. 

And still, He goes. 

That matters, because many of us arrive at this week already carrying weight. 

Some of us are tired in ways that sleep doesn’t fix. Others feel scattered, like our attention is pulled in too many directions at once. Some carry regret that hasn’t loosened its grip. Some carry grief that still catches us off guard. And some feel strangely flat—aware that this week is supposed to matter, but unsure how to enter it anymore. 

Luke shows us that Jesus does not wait for us to feel ready. 

He does not wait for perfect understanding. He does not wait for strong devotion. He does not wait for emotional clarity. 

He sets His face and moves toward us anyway. 

There is a steadiness in that phrase. Not forceful. Not frantic. Just resolved. Jesus is not rushing. He is not hesitating. He is walking forward with purpose. 

This is not grim determination. It is love with direction. 

Jesus knows what obedience will cost Him, and He does not turn away. He knows the loneliness that will come, and He does not retreat. He knows the suffering ahead, and He does not look for another path. 

That should change how we experience Holy Week. 

This week is not primarily about how closely we follow Jesus. It is about how faithfully He follows the Father—for us. 

Hebrews later tells us that Jesus endured the cross “for the joy that was set before him.” That joy was not comfort. It was not ease. It was the joy of completing the work He was sent to do. The joy of opening a way back to God for sinners. The joy of loving to the end. 

Tonight, you are not being asked to feel everything at once. You are not being asked to summon deep emotion or strong resolve. 

You are simply invited to notice where Jesus begins. 

He begins with clarity. He begins with willingness. He begins by moving toward the hard thing—for the sake of love. 

So tonight, slow down. 

Name what you’re carrying. Name what you’re avoiding. Name what feels heavy. 

And then look at Jesus setting His face toward the city—toward the cross—toward you. 

Let His steadiness be enough for tonight. 

Songs 

● Modern: Man of Sorrows (What a Name) 

● Hymn: O Sacred Head, Now Wounded 

Evening Questions 

1. As I end this day, where do I feel most tired—physically, emotionally, or spiritually? 

2. What is one situation in my life right now I would rather avoid, rush past, or delay? 

3. How does knowing that Jesus willingly moved toward suffering for me shape the way I can rest tonight? 

Evening Prayer 

Sovereign Lord, I am hesitant where You are resolute, fearful where You are faithful, slow where You are willing. 

Teach me to rest not in my resolve, but in Yours. 

As this holy week begins, let Your steadiness carry me. Amen. 

Adapted from The Valley of Vision, “Submission”