Long before it happened

Jesus knows.

16 Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger[a] greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it. 18 I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But so that the scripture might be fulfilled, ‘The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.’ 19 From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. 20 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”-John13:16-20

Jesus said, "I know those whom I have chosen." Despite Peter's denial of Jesus, His Majesty still chose him as His disciple. Despite the other disciples' abandonment of Jesus, His Majesty still chose them as His disciples. And despite Judas' betrayal, the truth is, Jesus still chose him as His disciple. If I were to see my future, and if I found out that this or that person will betray me later on, as early as now I am going to distance myself or avoid that person. But Jesus never sent Judas away because He knew that every body can change. Jesus said, "From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM." Jesus is preparing His disciples of what's going to happen. Perhaps this is also Jesus' way of saying to them all not to lose heart, not to despair, to be strong and to believe that He has forgiven them all long before the Passion and Crucifixion happened. Long before our miseries came to be, Jesus has a ready solution at hand. All we have to do is accept the outstretched hand He is offering to us.

Image courtesy: artist

God's Precious Gift

Love one another.

21 When he had said this, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, “Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant. 23 One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved,[a] was reclining at Jesus’ side. 24 So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant. 25 He leaned back against Jesus’ chest and said to him, “Master, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I hand the morsel[b] after I have dipped it.” So he dipped the morsel and [took it and] handed it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. 27 After he took the morsel, Satan entered him. So Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28 [Now] none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or to give something to the poor. 30 So he took the morsel and left at once. And it was night.31 [c]When he had left, Jesus said,[d] “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 [If God is glorified in him,] God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once. 33 My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, ‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to you. 34 I give you a new commandment:[e] love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. 35 This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”36 Simon Peter said to him, “Master, where are you going?” Jesus answered [him], “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later.” 37 Peter said to him, “Master, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times.”-John13:21-38

Always the will of God is stronger than human reason. If I were at the Last Supper, and it seems to me that Jesus is implying that Judas will betray Him, I would have said, "Judas, what are you planning to do?! Are you going to betray the Master?!" I think it is a normal reaction. But strangely, no one realized what's going on. Perhaps Judas is not 100% confident of what he's about to do. But God's will will happen. It may be illogical or even foolish or contrary to our will, but God's ways are not our ways, nor His thoughts our thoughts. His will is stronger than anything. As what St. Paul said, "The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom. But, Jesus' death is not a loss or failure, rather, it is God's biggest triumph ever. With Jesus' death, comes Resurrection and salvation. Jesus is sharing His life's victory to us despite our sins and shortcomings. Once, there is no hope for us. But after Jesus, the promise of eternal life and happiness with Him in Paradise is once more given to humankind.

Image courtesy: artist

 

The Passion

Jesus suffered and died to save us all.

... 6 Now on the occasion of the feast he used to release to them one prisoner whom they requested. 7 A man called Barabbas[v] was then in prison along with the rebels who had committed murder in a rebellion. 8 The crowd came forward and began to ask him to do for them as he was accustomed. 9 Pilate answered, “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” 10 For he knew that it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed him over. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. 12 Pilate again said to them in reply, “Then what [do you want] me to do with [the man you call] the king of the Jews?” 13 [w]They shouted again, “Crucify him.” 14 Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” They only shouted the louder, “Crucify him.” 15 [x]So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them and, after he had Jesus scourged, handed him over to be crucified.16 [y]The soldiers led him away inside the palace, that is, the praetorium, and assembled the whole cohort. 17 They clothed him in purple and, weaving a crown of thorns, placed it on him. 18 They began to salute him with, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 and kept striking his head with a reed and spitting upon him. They knelt before him in homage. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him out to crucify him.22 They brought him to the place of Golgotha (which is translated Place of the Skull). 23 They gave him wine drugged with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 [aa]Then they crucified him and divided his garments by casting lots for them to see what each should take. 25 It was nine o’clock in the morning[ab] when they crucified him. 26 [ac]The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 With him they crucified two revolutionaries, one on his right and one on his left. [28 ][ad] 29 [ae]Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself by coming down from the cross.” 31 Likewise the chief priests, with the scribes, mocked him among themselves and said, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also kept abusing him. 33 At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”[af] which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 [ag]Some of the bystanders who heard it said, “Look, he is calling Elijah.” 36 One of them ran, soaked a sponge with wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to take him down.” 37 Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 [ah]The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 [ai]When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”...-Mark14:1-15:47

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. Jesus is inviting us to accompany Him in His last days in Jerusalem by meditating on His way to Calvary, death and Resurrection. We have our own share of sufferings. We have our own Calvary too. Jesus shares His victory to us all that we too may triumph with life's struggles.

Image courtesy: Passion of the Christ