Dr.
Fr. Davis George
Terror
struck again of the fateful 26/11.
Innocent people were killed; brave police officers became martyr for the
nation. The entire country was paralyzed
and terror stricken. In an encounter
with the police at Girgaum Chopatty, Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist
in the attacks, was caught injured and is still in police custody. Though he has confessed his involvement in
the heinous crime and the entire country judging and awaiting for his death,
still he has not been given the deserving punishment. A terrorist caught in the act of crime. But what is the verdict?
Jesus
was found guilty by the High Priest, scribes, Pharisees and the unruly crowd
during his life-time, gave the verdict that he is guilty and must die. Guilty of what? Guilty of telling he is the Son of God and
the Messiah. Guilty of telling them he
has to suffer and die for the sins committed by others.
Guilty
of healing people on a Sabbath day, guilty of giving hope and life to those who
live in darkness of sin and death, guilty of going about doing good, guilty of
criticism outward show of religion, guilty of showing that God is their loving
father and they in turn are brothers and sisters, guilty of telling that He is
the way, the truth and life, guilty of telling that even after crucification
and death, He will rise again on the third day.
What a paradox of life, God who came not to condemn the world but to
save the world, has been condemned and crucified just like any other criminal
of his time. Jesus said, “The Son of Man
did not came to be saved, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for
many. For Christ died for sins once for
all, the righteous for the unrighteous.”
Mel
Gibson’s movie, The Passion of Christ, in some ways represents the very heart
of Christianity – the voluntary, substitutionary and propitiatory death of
Jesus Christ. Gibson did not find any
meaning in worldly riches and fame. He
became an addict of drugs and alcohol and even contemplated committing
suicide. Then he reportedly turned to
the Bible and found purpose and meaning in Jesus Christ.
The
big question is not ‘Who crucified Christ’; it is ‘Why Jesus was
crucified’. The answer this movie
provides us is, as Gibson himself reported to Diane Sawyer of ABC, “He was
pierced for our transgressions, and he was wounded and we are healed”. (Is
53:5).
Jesus
Christ died for our sins. He did not
defend himself, Isaiah 53:7-9 speaks about the silent suffering servant of the
Lord. Verse 7 can be translated this
way, “Though He was oppressed, He was submissive and did not open His mouth.”
He
submitted to being arrested, mocked, spat upon beaten, stripped, struck down,
forced to carry His own cross, and crucified.
The question we must ask is about the nature of his response.
Isaiah
says, “He did not open his mouth”. Why
did he not protest his great injustice?
Why did he not open his mouth and defend himself? Why did he strand there and take all this
abuse submissively?
Even
Jeremiah, the great prophet protested.
Even Mahatma Gandhi called for non-violent resistance. But Jesus Christ offered no resistance at
all, violent or non-violent. The gospel
accounts tell us that He did not defend himself before Annas, Capiaphas, the
Sanhedrin, Herod Antipas, or the Roman governor Pilate.
In
Mt.27:12-14 we read, “When He was accused by the chief priests and the elders,
He gave no answer. Then Pilate asked
him, ‘Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?’ But Jesus
made no reply, not even to a single charge to the great amazement of the
governor.” Isaah predicted this
non-defensive and non-complaining attitude of the suffering servant.
“Seven
hundred years before the birth of Christ, He will not shout or cry out, or
raise his voice in the streets. A
bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff
out. In faithfulness he will bring
forth justice.” (Is 42:2-3).
“The
Sovereign Lord has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not
drawn back. I offered my back to those
who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my break; I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.” (Is 50:5-7)
Then
those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the
scribes and the elders had gathered.
They sought false testimony against him.
Two came forward and said, “This
fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build in three
days.” And the high priest said to him,
“I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of
God.”
Jesus
said to him, “You have said so. But I
tell you; hereafter you will see the son of an sated at the right hand of
power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Then
the high priest tore his robes, and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment?’
They
answered, “He deserved death.” Then they
spat on his face, and struck him; and some slapped him, later they shouted
again and again, “Let him be crucified.”
(Mt. 56:57-68).
Then
the soldiers of the governor took Jesus in to the practorium, and they gathered
the whole battalion before him. And they
stripped him and put a scarlet robe upon him, and plaiting a crown of thorns
they put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him they mocked him
saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
And
when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, and put his own
clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him. And those who passed by derided him, wagging
their heads and saying, “you who would destroy the temple and built it in three
days, save yourself! If you are the Son
of God, come down from the cross.”
So
also the chief priest, with the scribes and elders, mocked him saying, “He
saved others; he cannot save himself. He
is the king of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will
believe in him. Jesus could have come
down from the cross and saved himself.
But then, he would not have been Savior of the world.
After
forty days of fasting as He came out of the desert, the tempter came and said
to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to became loaves of
bread.”
Jesus
did not succumb to playing to the gallery and taking short cuts. Jesus, thus, followed the eternal plan of
salvation and showed the unconditional love of God.”
While
we were yet helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why, one will hardly die for a righteous
man-though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. “Bust God show his love for us in than while
we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”
(Rom 5:6-8). And yet, he was
found guilty of death. What a paradox?
Jesus
did not come to condemn the world but to save the world (Jn 3:16-17). He did not condemn the women caught in
adultery but showed His compassion and forgiveness. Jesus visited the house of Zachaeous which
made the latter repent and change his life.
Mathew the tax collector detested by others, was chosen as his apostle.
The
repentant thief who sought forgiveness was promised heaven while dying on the
cross. On the cross Jesus prayed for
forgiveness for those who were persecuting him.
All those who touched him in faith were healed. All those who encountered him were
transformed.
His
life, suffering death and resurrection changed the history of the world. By dying on the cross, Jesus destroyed death
and by rising from the death on the third day.
He established that He is the resurrection and the life and that those
believe in Him shall gain eternal life.”
Because
He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because
He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know
He holds the future, my life is worth the living just because He lives.”
