It's fascinating to be reading this at Christmas time -- we have both ends of Jesus' life, each fraught with risk and human frailty. And yet this was always the plan. God wanted to save God's beloved people, and it required a perfect sacrifice. It was never going to be easy or clean, because sacrifice never is, and yet it is somehow infused with perfect love throughout. The elders and scribes who Jesus came to save were only interested in preserving their own power, so they turned against him. Judas was lost, and he ran from Jesus, but Jesus didn't give up on him.
So at Christmas, we peer into the manger to see the wonder, and the pain of Good Friday only amplifies the miracle. God knew redemption would lead through the cross, and yet God still chose this path, because it was the only way. The people fled and Jesus was alone, and yet Jesus remained on the course. Love remains faithful, even to the end.
No comments:
Post a Comment