20 “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. 21 Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.”
John 18:20-21, NIV
Today is Good Friday.
We remember Jesus’ sacrifice today. It is a day where we recall an event that forever changed humankind’s relationship to God.
As I prepared for services recently, something in the old, familiar story grabbed my attention. It was stirred by the verses quoted above from John’s gospel.
Notice how bold–and not in the least passive–Jesus is in exposing the dark deeds of the religious leaders for trying Jesus at night.
He forces them to examine their actions by pointing out how underhanded their actions are to be done in the dead of night. This is not a passive Jesus.
Why this sticks out to me is how Good Friday is often portrayed as an event where Jesus is a passive victim.
He is not. Sure, he allows them to batter and crucify him. Jesus is the victim in the story. Yet he does not go without pushing those who would abuse him to look into the mirror and see their own sinful hearts.
A lesson I take from this is a call to expose evil or wicked deeds for true Christ followers.
Like Jesus, we need not be passive in the face of wicked, underhanded deeds. Instead, we can lovingly expose them to the light of truth. Such is what it looks to walk in Christ’s example.
“It not like you are innocent in this marriage. So, why are you pushing for a divorce?” says Cheater.
“We both publicly and freely agreed to forsake all others on our wedding day. What part of that do you not understand?” says Faithful Spouse.
