In the Passion narrative from the Gospel of John we see a variety of archetypes of opposition against Jesus. We see the religious leaders who were jealous of his success, who were upset that they received less attention than him, and who wanted his popularity and influence for themselves. It seemed to them that had somehow invalidated the purpose of the positions they held by the way their importance was relativized to be less significant compared to him. They wanted to insist on being the protagonists in the own stories and were unwilling to yield the lead role to Jesus. With them were guards, who perpetuated violence in the name of doing their jobs. Perhaps they rationalized their role by assuming Jesus was a danger to the Roman government. But they did not nothing to change their plans when they found him to be anything but a threat, far different than they must have expected based on what his opponents said of him. Then their were the Judean crowds who too easily succumbed to a mob mindset and a thirst for the spectacle of violence. They had a reason for this violence rubber stamped for them by the religious leaders and shouted their endorsement to ensure they could behold it.
So Pilate said to him,
“Then you are a king?”
Jesus answered,
“You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
Pilate was such a modern figure, not openly hostile, willing to listen to Jesus explain himself. Yet by being unwilling to actually stand up for Jesus he actually created the conditions that led to his death. Although he desired to wash his hands of it, without his approval Jesus could not have been crucified. It became evident that what Jesus said was true. Those who were not actively for him would eventually be implicated in opposing him. If only Pilate had been willing to see that, regarding Jesus, there weren't multiple conflicting truths, but rather one objective truth. If he hadn't been felt the need to be so political, to balance multiple conflicting demands as though they were of equal value, he might have been able to take a stand for Jesus and to save him. But it was not the plan of Jesus to be saved. It was for this reason that he allowed himself to be handed over to Pilate, because he fully intended to drink the cup that his Father gave him.
One of the slaves of the high priest,
a relative of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said,
“Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?”
Again Peter denied it.
And immediately the cock crowed.
The final type of opposition to Jesus we will consider is that of the unfaithful disciple. Even aside from Judas, who intentionally planned to betray him, his other disciples failed to be good friends to him in his hour of need. They fled at the arrest. Even the desire of Peter to remain close to him was not enough to overcome his need for self-protection. He denied Jesus rather than allowing himself to face any risk to life, limb, or even reputation. He was willing to go to any length for Jesus when he appeared ascendant. But in this hour of weakness and apparent failure he couldn't bring himself to share the lot of his master. He probably thought to himself, 'What good will it do if I die as well?' No good, perhaps, besides love.
We probably have a little of all of these archetypes in us, each of us containing the potential to oppose or betray Jesus in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons. If we recognize this in advance we can avoid it. We can make good resolutions in how we will act in difficult circumstances. We can commit ourselves to speak up for Jesus no matter the consequences.
But there is something else worth saying about all of these people and groups aside from presenting them as cautionary tales. The fact is that it was for all of these that Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (see Luke 23:34). There wasn't a form of opposition that Jesus didn't foresee. There was no sin so grave that the sinner disqualified himself from God's mercy. Jesus came to show mercy knowing in advance all of the sin and opposition he would face. And he did it anyway, not for some imaginary group of innocents, but for sinners like them, like you and me.
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (see Romans 5:8).
What does all of this mean for us now, here, today? The letter to the Hebrews tells us:
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.
Songs In His Presence - Surely He Has Borne Our Griefs
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