Saturday Of The 5th Week Of Lent

Today’s chapter of John’s gospel begins with the raising of Lazarus of Bethany.
What Jesus did was not only for Lazarus but for all of God’s scattered children, gathering us from the fear of death to life. What Mary does, an action that will always be told in the telling of the Gospel, expresses love from all of us.

The council of elders agrees that Jesus performs many signs, and the result will be that the Romans will destroy the Holy Places and the nation. We hear also the great prophecy that bears the weight of authority because it is made by the high priest: ‘It is expedient that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish’.

Then John gives us the reason for the passion and death of Jesus: “He prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one all of God’s children who are scattered abroad”.

Tomorrow we will remember the jubilant palm procession that welcomes Jesus to Jerusalem. what follows is the cleansing of the temple, and the judgment against Jesus and the determination that he be destroyed. This is the greatest act of love. Christ died for our sake so as to gather the children of God scattered abroad. Let us internalize the Holy Week activities into our minds and hearts. For that is the greatest love story ever told.

Osho