The Lord’s Passion

I have always had a hard time with using the word Passion for the trial and punishment that Jesus received before his death. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “passion” in the following ways:
       1: a strong feeling or emotion,
       2: an object of someone’s love, liking, or desire,
       3: strong liking or desire: love.
These are all words of love and kindness. These words are not reflected in what Jesus went through on that day. Why would anyone love to be deceived, betrayed, denied, spit on, scourged, crowned with thorns, mocked unmercifully, and finally hung on a tree? How can these actions be desired by anyone let alone the only Son of the creator of the world? The one and true king.

We know that Jesus was in total fear and agony for the task that had been asked of Him to do by His Father, but He did it anyway. We know how alone He felt and how abandon He felt because we can hear His words. He even felt abandoned by His Father who asked Him to do these things. He chose to do it anyway. It was not something He wanted to do, it was what was asked by His Father to do and out of total obedience and love for the Father, He did it. This then raises another question; why would the Father ask His Son to do sacrifice Himself for our sins? Jesus answered the question and told us that He and the Father share the same thoughts. So, these events were also the Father’s Passion, but this event could not be what they truly wanted. There has to be something else; some other reason our Lord chose these trials for Himself. That other reason is us. No one would have chosen such things unless they were doing it for someone else, someone they had a Passion for. Our God has a total and complete love and longing for US.

We are the Lord’s true passion. Through these events, Christ became the perfect sacrifice taken away all sin so that we could be united with His Father in an eternal life. Through the Son we can now have a full relationship with the Father. In our full relationship with the Father and the Son we share in their passion. So, we now have a passion for each other. Love as I have loved.

Live Jesus in your hearts forever.
Deacon Chris