Jesus’ Death on the Cross: The Greatest Love Story of All Times

(Reflection for Good Friday)

Gospel:

When Jesus had finished speaking, he went with his disciples to the other side of the Kidron Valley. There was a garden there where Jesus entered with his disciples.

Now Judas, who betrayed him knew the place since Jesus had often met there with his disciples. He led soldiers of the Roman battalion and guards from the chief priests and Pharisees, who went there with lanterns, torches and weapons.

Jesus knew all that was going to happen to him; he stepped forward and asked, “Who are you looking for?” They answered, “Jesus the Nazarene.” Jesus said. “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, stood there with them.

When Jesus said, “I am he,” they moved back and fell to the ground. He then asked a second time, “Who are you looking for?” and they answered, “Jesus the Nazarene.” Jesus replied, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, let these others go.” So what Jesus had said came true: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.” (John 18: 1-19:42)

Reflections:

My favorite verse in the Bible is John 3:16 – “ For God so loved the world that He gave His only son.” This verse is the core event of the greatest LOVE STORY of all times. What Jesus did in the cross is the greatest symbol of LOVE and SACRIFICE. Jesus is the true manifestation of the Love of the Father for us.

We as human cannot redeem our own humanity from SIN because whom we disobeyed is divine. Thus, we can only be saved by someone who is also divine in nature. God does not want us to be continuously drowned to sin.  So He sends his Son to redeem us from darkness and that heaven be opened again to everyone. This will be done through the passion, death, and resurrection of his own Son.

Jesus does the will of the Father with all of his heart. Thus, he is not afraid even in death. He loves the Father. And that love is also the same love that he feels for us. He is so determined to do the will of the Father for us to be saved and bring back again to light. In the Gospel, Jesus shows so much courage that he tells everyone who are seeking for him, “I am he”. Even if being “Jesus of Nazarene” entails suffering, he still says with much conviction, “I told you that I am he.” He is ready to take his passion just to show to us how he and the Father love us much.

In the gospel also, we would learned that Jesus protects those who followed him. “If you are looking for me, let these others go.” He does not want his disciples to suffer the way he will have to. Jesus gives what is due to those obey the divine will.

We have also crosses in our life but at that time of him, Jesus just allowed us to see how to carry them. He gives us the example on how to embrace the cross that is given to us. There are times that we feel that Jesus is sharing us his suffering not really to make us punished but to make us strong in life because every suffering has the value of elevating our life. Every suffering is an opportunity to maturity. It is a way of even saving our life from the things that are sometimes unknown to us. But definitely, Jesus shares a cross to us to make us live again the way the Father planned for us. Every cross that we take is a way to resurrection to a new life.

The greatest love story of all times is not just about the crucifixion of Jesus. As I realized, one sweetest moment that is happening in the paschal mystery of Christ is the transcending meeting point of the humanity and of the Father at the cross wherein from the heart of Jesus flowed the blood that blesses the earth once again. Jesus is the meeting persona where the dead world is being lived again. When Jesus said “It is done”, it means that humanity is worthy again of the Love and Life Everlasting with the Father.