Saturday, Fifth Week of Lent

According to today’s gospel reading, the raising of Lazarus back to life was the catalyst for the religious leaders to meet and decide on putting Jesus to death. In giving life to Lazarus, Jesus would suffer the loss of his own life. Jesus showed himself to be the good shepherd who was prepared to lay down his life for this small segment of his flock, the family of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. The way Jesus related to this family is how he related to us all. He has loved us all to the end, laying down his life so that we may have life and have it to the full. He gave up his life so that we may have life, not just the physical life to which Lazarus was returned, but eternal life over which death has no power. The high priest, Caiaphas, declares a profound truth without realizing it when he says in the gospel reading, ‘it is better for one man to die for the people’. Jesus did indeed die for the people, not in place of the people, as Caiaphas thought, but on behalf of the people and not just the people of Israel but all people. He died for our sakes. The evangelist declares in the gospel reading that Jesus died ‘to gather together the scattered children of God’. Elsewhere in this gospel of John, Jesus himself declares, ‘When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself’. The outpouring of God’s love through Jesus’ death would draw together all of God’s people. Love always attracts and perfect love powerfully attracts. Our calling, especially as we face into Holy Week, is to allow ourselves to be drawn and gathered by the love of the good Shepherd, most powerfully and fully revealed when Jesus is lifted up on the cross and in glory.