Deeper Reflection
THIS WEEK WE WILL READ THE PASSION NARRATIVE IN Mark’s account of the Gospel and reflect on the journey of our Lord Jesus Christ to the cross and beyond. His trial, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection. You cannot miss the dramatic twist of events in this final week. It was marked by the brutal irony of people’s extreme and absurd responses to Him. From Palm Sunday to Good Friday. From “Hosanna!” to “Crucify Him!” Adoration to condemnation. Waving palm leaves in their hands to driving cruel nails into His. The crowds following Him to everyone deserting Him. How do we make sense of this apparent madness?In The God Who is There, D.A. Carson wrote that “the man who is utterly powerless is transcendently powerful”¹⁶. Concerning the final week, all the parallel accounts in the Gospels consistently portrayed a reckless, almost irresponsible, passivity on the part of Jesus. He did not resist arrest or defend Himself. Betrayed by Judas, deserted by all His disciples, delivered to His enemies, denied by Peter, condemned by His people and ultimately even forsaken by His Father. Was everything out of control? Certainly not! Jesus could have availed Himself of more than twelve legions of angels, but chose not to (Matt 26:53-54). The Lamb who takes away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29) could not be more focused on fulfilling His mission on earth than here in these final steps to His slaughter at the cross. Under the mighty hand of God, the very powerlessness of Jesus was His very power. People may see a senseless slaughter. But the Lamb saw His holy altar.

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¹⁶ D.A. Carson, The God Who Is There (Baker Books, 2010), 156.