If he gives his life as an offering for sin, he shall see his descendants in a long life, for the will of the Lord shall be accomplished through him. The universal Church commemorates today Friday of the Passion of the Lord (Good Friday). It is a commemoration that brings to a close our Lenten journey that began on Ash Wednesday. For forty days, we have walked with the Lord as he leads us through desert experiences even as we were granted the opportunity to deeply reflect on our discipleship. We have had time and opportunity to cultivate our faith by letting go of the attitudes, behaviors, and things that sometimes prevent us from living to the full our sonship. We have also had the opportunity to replace the life-chocking vices that the world puts at our disposal with the life-giving values of Jesus Christ. For it is only thus that today’s celebration will have meaning for us.
The first reading from Isaiah captures the heart of today’s celebration. The last of the “four songs of the suffering servant of God,” today’s passage celebrates the suffering righteous one as the one chosen to carry out the saving activity on behalf of his community. He is given a task analogous to that of the Jewish scapegoat for he is to be pierced for the offenses of the community and chastised for the healing of his people. Whereas the “song” might sound incomprehensible because this suffering servant is the righteous one who not only suffers for the sins of others, but also gives his life so that others might live, it nonetheless points to the mystery of the Christian faith. For just as the servant’s death become the fountain of life for his brothers and sisters, so is the passion and death of Jesus Christ the beginning of new life for his friends. Jesus Christ was made to be sin so that the righteousness of God might be portrayed in the lives of his brothers and sisters (us). Why would Jesus do this for us? Why would Jesus accept a shameful death on behalf of others?
Jesus accepts to be made sin and to die as our big brother and as our high priest. As a high priest, Jesus’ responsibility is that of becoming a bridge between humanity and God. His responsibility is that of reconciling the universe and God. He offers prayers and sacrifices on behalf of the people and intercedes for them with God. But Jesus does more than what other high priests do. While the other high priests offered sacrifices brought to them by the people (thus remaining apart from the sacrifice they offered), Jesus offers the sacrifice that is his very life. He becomes the sacrifice that he offers. He does this because he is able to feel in his being the pains and struggle of his brothers and sisters. As such, Jesus’ suffering and passion need to be understood in this context of sacrificial offering. He suffers and undergoes passion and death to make peace between us and the Father.
As our big brother, Jesus becomes our role model. As our big brother, he holds us by the hand to lead us and show us the right path to walk. He suffers and dies on the cross to leave us an example to follow. The example that Jesus leaves us is not so much Jesus’ suffering and death as to what underlies his passion: obedience.
It is Jesus’ obedience to the Father that becomes the source of salvation for all. Just as our disobedience became the source of our death, obedience becomes our source of life. Jesus leaves us obedience as the only way to perfection as sons and daughters of God for it counters the disobedience of the first parents. Jesus suffers and dies, not because God wanted him to suffer, but rather as an act of obedience to the Father. It is this obedience that becomes important. It is this obedience that he leaves us as an example and as our way back to God.