I BELONG TO JESUS!!!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Lenten Weekday

By Lorenz S. Cenetino, Jr.

John 11: 45 - 56

45        Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him;

46        but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

47        So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council, and said, "What are we to do? For this man performs many signs.

48        If we let him go on thus, every one will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation."

49        But one of them, Ca'iaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all;

50        you do not understand that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish."

51        He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation,

52        and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

53        So from that day on they took counsel how to put him to death.

54        Jesus therefore no longer went about openly among the Jews, but went from there to the country near the wilderness, to a town called E'phraim; and there he stayed with the disciples.

55        Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.

56        They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, "What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?"

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:

A BLESSED SATURDAY TO ALL!!!

It is very common an experience that people can be divided into pro and anti on a certain issue. One side would have a favorable or positive view while the other side would have a negative or disapproving view. We can see this divided view on a particular issue in the Gospel today. The Jews were divided in their assessment on what they had witnessed Jesus had done. There were those who BELIEVE in Jesus because of what they had SEEN, while others went to Jesus’ detractors, the chief priests and Pharisees, as a sign of disapproval of what they had seen. What they witnessed was the RAISING of LAZARUS from DEATH when Jesus commanded him to come out from his tomb.

Jesus’ enemies gathered to discuss what they should do with Jesus so that they can stop people from believing in him. They are concerned with their INTEGRITY as a NATION and their HOLY PLACE against the possible wrath of Rome if the people will become followers of Jesus who is just one of the itinerant preachers that offered different interpretations of their laws and traditions. And so the high priest that time, Caiaphas, made his opinion, which is like a verdict upon Jesus already, “You know nothing at all; you do not understand that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish." This view, the anti-view against Jesus, was upheld to SAVE their NATION from PERISHING.

In contrast to this anti-view, there were those who come to BELIEVE in Jesus. They come to believe because they see in Jesus the HOPE and the BLESSING of the FULLNESS of LIFE. These believers had seen something opposite to what Jesus’ have seen. Because of what they saw Jesus raising Lazarus from death, they see the GOODNEWS that in Jesus they will NEVER PERISH. Jesus’ enemies saw in him the destruction of their nation and holy places. But those who come to believe in Jesus saw in him the RESTORATION, rather than destruction, of their NATION as to what God has called them to be—a HOLY NATION. And by Jesus’ DEATH their nation becomes a HOLY PLACE that millions of people and pilgrims come to visit.

Because of their failure to know who Jesus is, the religious leaders wanted to kill Jesus to end the threat that they considered. But they did not realized the truth that it is Jesus’ DEATH that will reveal the deepest longing of their hearts—FULLNESS of LIFE. By Jesus’ death he will achieve for us the fullness of what he did to Lazarus— our RESURRECTION. This resurrection is the guarantee that those who will BELIEVE in him will NOT PERISH. As we approach the final days of our Lenten season may our FAITH in Jesus is also getting stronger and more mature. As we are about to celebrate the Palm Sunday, that is tomorrow, may we be counted among those who have a PRO-VIEW on Jesus considering him as the TRUE KING of our lives. Let our hearts say: HOSANNA to our KING! Let our whole being be proud in claiming: I BELONG TO JESUS!!!