Isa 52:13-53:12; Ps 30(31):2,6,12-13,15-17,25; Heb 4:14-16,5:7-9; Jn 18:1-19:42
Theme: Who are you looking for?
At this end of Jesus’ life, it is important to see him asking the same question with which he started his earthly encounter as recorded by John. In Jn 1:38, when the two disciples of John were following Jesus, he turned and asked them: what are you looking for? And then in his final day, when the soldiers came to arrest him, he asked them: who are you looking for?
Jesus came into the world, looking for you, the lost sheep of the Father. In order to find you, he had to suffer greatly and die like a criminal. Now, he wants to know whom and what you are looking for yourself? You have been following him, and he keeps asking you: what/who are you looking for?
Are you like Judas, who though possessed everything, kept looking for an opportunity to make money out of his closeness with the Lord? Are you like Judas who thought of the Lord as a magician, whom he could use to secretly make money? What are you looking for? Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus, a magician? Do you want a Jesus that will guarantee your material possessions and personal gains or the Jesus that teaches you the way to an eternal happiness?
Are you like Peter, who sought to make friends with the members of the household of the high priest even if it demands denying not having anything to do with the Lord? Are you like Peter who, in order to enjoy the charcoal fire made by men, distanced himself from the Lord? How often do you deny the Lord because of what you want to gain from men’s association? What do you want? Jesus of Nazareth or the company of men and their material comforts?
Are you like Pilate, who chose not to stand by the truth and defend what he knew to be the truth, just because he was afraid of losing his position as a friend of Caesar? Who are you looking for? Jesus of Nazareth or friendship with Caesar? Are you ready to overcome the
roaring voices of the world, pushing you from all sides to overlook the truth in order to be rewarded handsomely by men? What do you want? The triumph of truth or its burial?
In order to gain you to himself, and mend your relationship with God, Jesus left every other thing, his divinity and divine power inclusive, and came to suffer weakness and cruelty. Jesus told himself: I want Henry…I want Charles…I want Ifeoma. And he knew that the only condition to get Henry, Charles and Ifeoma was to leave his divinity behind and assume the nature of Henry, Charles and Ifeoma. Because they meant so much for him, he abandoned every other thing and came for them.
In the same way, just as Jesus told the soldiers, if you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, the one who hangs on the cross for you, then you MUST have to leave every other thing. Jesus told the soldiers who came to arrest him: “I have told you that I am he (Jesus the Nazarene). If I am the one you are looking for, let these others go”. Jesus repeats the same words everyday to me and you: If I am the one you are looking for, let go of other things.
Jesus does not hide himself from us. He comes always to ask us: who are you looking for? And he does not waste time to tell us: I am Jesus, the Nazarene, are you looking for me?
We must have to let that betraying Judas in us to go for us to be able to reciprocate Jesus’ love with an authentic love that looks for nothing else.