IT IS BETTER FOR ONE MAN TO DIE...

John 11:45-56

It is kind of strange to see the logic of the Pharisees. Jesus is healing people. Jesus is converting sinners back to following God. Jesus is raising the dead back to life. And the Pharisees are worried about how they can put a stop to this. The gospel of today is a continuation of the event when Jesus raised Lazarus back to life. We heard that many people accepted and believed in him. Yet there were those who were determined to get rid of Him in order to save themselves. These were especially the Pharisees together with the chief priests who considered Jesus as a dangerous person, a threat to their religious convictions, political interests and security. They were afraid that if many would believe in Him, the Romans would take away their land and nation. This is where Caiaphas, the high priest comes in: “It is better for one man to die rather than the whole nation to perish.”

This is very logical. It is much better that one man dies rather than an entire nation. Caiaphas was right to tell the Pharisees that they know nothing. He only needed to include himself because he did not know the meaning of Jesus’ death; he didn’t know that the Lamb was to be sacrificed for holy reasons, for salvific reasons; not for political reasons. And John, the evangelist corrects Caiaphas’ statement that Jesus would die not only for the nation but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God. The death of Jesus is for a universal salvation.

From this gospel passage it comes out clearly, and it is happening in our society today that living our Christian life is not always easy. Speaking out against injustices, coming to the aid of our friends and family when they need us, acting for social change are all difficult and sometimes have high costs. But this should not stop us from doing God’s will. We can only be able to do God’s will if we accept to move out of our safety zone, to move out of our comfort zone and to risk ourselves like Jesus. We are almost at the end of our Lenten period, as we approach the Holy Week, let us come with deep awareness and gratitude for the sacrifice of Jesus for us. Jesus has worn for us. All we need is to ask for the grace to be anointed with greater courage to live the Gospel so that the world might see and believe.