The Pilates of the World

It is done.

... [s]Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged. 2 And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head, and clothed him in a purple cloak, 3 and they came to him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck him repeatedly. 4 Once more Pilate went out and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak. And he said to them, “Behold, the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him. I find no guilt in him.” 7 [t]The Jews answered, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.” 8 Now when Pilate heard this statement, he became even more afraid, 9 and went back into the praetorium and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” Jesus did not answer him. 10 So Pilate said to him, “Do you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered [him], “You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above. For this reason the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.” 12 Consequently, Pilate tried to release him; but the Jews cried out, “If you release him, you are not a Friend of Caesar.[u] Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”
13 When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out and seated him[v] on the judge’s bench in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon.[w] And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your king!” 15 They cried out, “Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your king?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” 16 Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.[x] ...
23 [aa]When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier. They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down. 24 So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be,” in order that the passage of scripture might be fulfilled [that says]:
“They divided my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.”
... 28 After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled,[ad] Jesus said, “I thirst.” 29 There was a vessel filled with common wine.[ae] So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. 30 [af]When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.
... 40 They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. 41 Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried. 42 So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day; for the tomb was close by.-John18-19:42

As I read and listened to the Passion of Jesus, I was struck also by the person of Pontius Pilate. A powerful man, yet he did not exercise his real authority, feared his subjects (though he can pulverize Jerusalem easily at that time), and would rather send an innocent man to a shameful death when pressured. I cannot help but remember the many Pilates in our world. Men and women who would rather put the blame to others; made faulty decisions when pressured; would not stand to what is right and true if confronted by so many. Jesus, in His great love for us, also died for the Pilates of our world. Perhaps we are like Pilate too at certain points in our life. But Jesus is here and has saved us. Jesus died and rose again so that we can share everlasting life with Him as well, so that there is always hope for us, so that we will 'resurrect' daily with Him as we continue our earthly existence, and so that we are perpetually washed clean of our sins.

Image courtesy: The Passion of the Christ 

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