Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him,
went out and said to them, “Whom are you looking for?”
The events of the passion of Jesus were not surprises to him, nor were his circumstances at any point out of control. He laid his life down of his own accord. Though he was the recipient of brutality, violence, and hatred, he was in fact choosing to bear our infirmities and to endure our sufferings. Harsh treatment of an innocent individual like this would have been tragic in any other case. But because of the one to whom it happened and how he received it it was in this case transformative. His love for us creatively reshaped the suffering he received into a life-giving remedy for sin. The only one for whom this was possible was the one revealed to be the great "I AM", the one who bore the divine name revealed to Moses by God at the burning bush.
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it,
struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear.
The slave’s name was Malchus.
Peter was capable of bold and courageous action for the sake of Jesus. No doubt he meant to prove the truth of the words he said when he told Jesus that he would die for him. But he was less capable of remaining steadfast when he could not exercise any sort of control of the situation. When he was called to demonstrate meekness rather than strength it was then that he could no longer remain faithful to his commitment to Jesus.
Now Simon Peter was standing there keeping warm.
And they said to him,
“You are not one of his disciples, are you?”
He denied it and said,
“I am not.”
Many of us are probably like Peter. When we can boldly proceed according to our own plans we seem strong and committed. But when our own plans our upended and we ourselves seem to be on trial alongside Jesus we sometimes try to hide, become evasive, and even resort to dishonesty to avoid meeting a fate beyond our control.
Fortunately, just as Jesus creatively transformed all of the violence inflicted upon him into mercy for the world, so too does he transform our own failures and new and deeper strength, provided we repent, just as he did for Peter.
And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head,
and clothed him in a purple cloak,
and they came to him and said,
“Hail, King of the Jews!”
Somehow even in their mockery of Jesus they still couldn't help but acknowledge his kingship. On some deep intuitively level they seemed to know that he was in fact "the King of the Jews" as the inscription on the cross read. But he was not such a king as they could tolerate, they who saw value only in violence and strength.
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
and put it up to his mouth.
The violent strength of the authorities of this world and those who did their bidding was nevertheless unable to stop Jesus from fulfilling his plan. In fact, they were all instrumental in it being brought to completion. This hyssop branch was just one example. As a hyssop branch was used to spread the blood of the passover lamb during the exodus (see Exodus 12:22) so too here must this hyssop branch have been covered with the blood of Jesus, the lamb of God, and anointed the earth.
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately blood and water flowed out.
Just as blood and water flowed out of the temple during the passover as countless lambs were sacrificed so too did blood and water flow from the new temple and the true lamb of God. This is the precious blood that is the source of our forgiveness and new life. This is the living water of the Holy Spirit who would fill and animate the Church.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
One of the great gifts Jesus gives us in his passion is giving us his mother to be our mother. She is called "Woman" because she is the new Eve, mother of all of those who truly live, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus (see Revelation 12:17). The passion of Jesus is intense to the degree that we are often tempted to look away. Even when we don't it is still a lot to take in. But Mary, who remained at the foot of the cross in faithfulness to her son, can be a point of entry for us. If we remain with her she can help us to remain with him. Her love for him can teach and inspire us to make our own love and commitment for him deeper.
As we have insisted, the passion was no tragedy or accident but a part of the plan of the Father and the Son to save the human race. As such, we do it as disservice if we simply shed and a few tears and then move it. It is meant to inspire something much greater in us than this initial repentant sorrow:
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.
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