John’s Gospel is so different from all the others, because Jesus the spotlight is on his eternal divinity in all its power.
One dominant theme throughout the Passion according to John is that when Jesus is brought up on charges before the High Priest, before Pilate, and even before the crowds, it turns out that not Jesus, but everyone else is put on trial.
Jesus Christ was not, is not, and will not be judged. But we are judged when we encounter him. Alongside your reading of the Passion, read this from John, chapter 3:
19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”
That word for “judgment” in verse 19 is the Greek word krisis from which we, obviously, get our word “crisis.”
We know that this pandemic is a time of crisis—not simply because it changes everything and is difficult, but because it tests our character.
Let us today resolve to make our decisions with Jesus Christ standing before us. He shines the light into our souls. Do we love darkness or light? Will we strive for good or evil? This time will make it evident to others and to our God what we are made of. Let the light of God’s love make us all into something wonderful and not shameful.
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