Who the Saviour is

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Monday of Holy Week, Year B, March 29th, 2021
Texts: Is. 42: 1-7; Ps. 27:1-3.13-14; John 12:1-11
Today's first reading tells us who our Saviour is. Prophet Isaiah calls Him a servant. He is a  servant because He has come to serve and not to be served. This brings to mind His words: "Just as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." The essence of a servant is service, spending his/her life for others. Jesus Christ is an epitome of a servant, for He gave His life as a ransom in service to humanity. All Christians are servants with Jesus Christ; we should always seek to serve, not to be served.
Jesus Christ, as a servant, derived His strength from God, for God says, "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights". God upholds Him means God is ther source of His strength or support. It is more evident when Jesus Christ often withdrew to a quiet place to pray. Just like Jesus Christ we should always allow God to uphold us, to be the source of our strength. He is the chosen one of God the Father because He is sent by God; what he came to accomplish is the initiative of God the Father. Hence, Jesus often says, "If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father” (John 10:37-38). God the Father delights in Him because He does the will of God the Father. Another way of saying I delights in someone is to say that he does my will. The best way of being someone's delight is to do his will. Jesus Christ perfectly does the will of God, and thus becomes a model for all who want to do the will of God. Jesus Christ has shown us how to find our way into the heart of God: it is by doing His will.
The reading tells us that God bestowed on Him His own Spirit. Hence, Jesus says, "the Father is in me and I am in the Father” (John 10:38). Jesus Christ pour out the same spirit on us at baptism. Having the Spirit of the Father, He walks in the way of the  Father, establishing justice on earth. The reading says, "I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations." He brings forth justice because he shall support the weak, defend the defenseless, console the sorrowful and fulfil the hope of the just by rewarding everyone for his conducts. The Lord, indeed, is our light and salvation. We are also called to participate in the works of establishing justice on earth.
Jesus is a gentle servant who renders service of love; he has not come to judge, but justify by His passion and resurrection. Hence, it is said, "He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench." He is a gentle king; He does not condemn, but justify. He goes further to introduce God as the principle and source of all that is: He is the creator of heaven and earth and principle of life. Prophet Isaiah says, "Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it". As the source of life, He guides all by His providence.
The gospel reading shows us that the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. God manifested His glory in Jesus Christ by works, and such works attracted people's attention. People were believing in Jesus Christ and showing their gratitude. Judas Iscariot was looking for how to make advantage of the whole thing. We see in him human weakness: greed and selfishness. The chief priests were angry and wanted to put an end to the works of God and the people's response; they wanted to kill Lazarus. Human weakness raised his ugly heads in them, we see in them envy, jealousy, animosity, hatred etc. We are not to be like judas Iscariot and the chief priests. We are to be like Martha and Mary in response to Jesus Christ, to God's works and the gospel.

Lord our God, we thank You for this year holy week; may it bear bountiful fruits in our lives. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke