The GREATEST ACT OF LOVE the World Has Ever Known

“I have not rebelled, have not turned back.” (Isaiah 50:5)

It’s amazing the detail with which these prophetic poems known as the Suffering Servant describe the way Jesus conducted his life—especially during his Passion. This passage, for instance, paints a remarkably vivid picture of Jesus’ endurance and lonely struggle to fulfill his mission in a world that was hostile to him and everything he stood for.

Suffering and endurance in the name of God were not unique to Jesus, however. These passages describe also the hardships endured by prophets who proclaimed the word of the Lord to Israel. For their testimonies, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and many others suffered at the hands of their own people. Jeremiah, for example, was thrown into a muddy, abandoned cistern where it was hoped he would starve. He was eventually rescued but later was kidnapped and taken to Egypt against his will. Elijah was under constant danger of execution by Queen Jezebel. Even Ezekiel—living with his fellow Jews as an exile in Babylon—was an outcast.

What stands out in Jesus’ sufferings in contrast to these prophets is his willing submission to such abuse (Isaiah 50:5-6). Inspired by love, Jesus freely chose to give his life to win our freedom. He foresaw the mistreatment, torture, and death that would be his, but he went forward. Fully human, capable of physical and emotional pain, Jesus gave himself to his oppressors (50:6). The innocent died for the guilty; the faithful for the unfaithful. This was the greatest act of love the world has ever known.

Tomorrow we begin the Triduum, the great three-day celebration of our redemption. During these days, we will recall the suffering by which Jesus offered a way back to God from the exile of disobedience and sin. In the liturgies we will relive the drama of Jesus’ last hours and the unfolding of God’s plan of salvation. Let’s spend today pondering Jesus, the Servant of God who freely offered himself to his enemies. May praise well up in our hearts as we gaze upon our suffering Messiah-King!

“Blessed be your name, Jesus! By your death and resurrection, you have filled us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens. We proclaim you as beloved of the Father, Son of God, and Anointed One. May your name be exalted forever!”

--that in all things God may be glorified--