Good Friday of the
Passion of the Lord
(Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16.5:7-9; John 18:1-42)
There is a fantasy about two kidnappers who take a child from
a rich family and demand a huge ransom.
The child, however, is extremely mischievous and the parents make a
counter-offer. They say that they will
take the child back if the kidnappers give a ransom. The child proves to be so troublesome that
the kidnappers concede to the parents' demand.
In the Passion of Jesus according to John
a similar turning of a situation on its head is seen.
John's gospel
is the most theological of the four. It is
also quite historical, but John describes
events with more concern about their deeper significance than about literal
accuracy. The trial of Jesus before
Pilate is a good example of this method.
Apparently Jesus is on trial. The
Jewish leaders have brought him to Pilate with the demand that he be
executed. It does not take Pilate long
to discern that Jesus is innocent. The
real question then becomes whether Pilate will incriminate himself by ceding to
the Jewish demand. He is the one who is
really on trial not Jesus.
Pilate attempts to escape judgment. He tries to release Jesus as a Passover gift
to the Jews. They, of course, refuse the
offer. Then he has Jesus beaten and
presented to the Jews as one who has already suffered for any crime he might
have committed. But the Jews, saying
that Jesus made himself to be the Son of God, won't budge from their demand. Now Pilate becomes afraid which makes him
susceptible to the Jewish threat that if he does not execute Jesus, he would
not be a friend of Caesar. Out of fear
then Pilate orders Jesus’ execution. He
is guilty not just of the death of an innocent man but also of one whom he has
come to know as having divine origins.
But Pilate is not the only one on trial in the Passion
according to John. Jesus said earlier in
the gospel that judgment will come to the world when he is lifted up on the
cross. That moment has arrived. Because he shows himself as the true Lord when
he dies on the cross, each of us must ask whether we will follow his
authority. When we look at him raised up
on the cross, do we pledge to love others as he loved? Or, much like Pilate, will we give in to the fears
and wants of our hearts?
