Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 21(22); Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14 – 27:66
In exile in Babylon, after Jerusalem was destroyed in 597 BC, the despairing people are tempted to give up their faith in God. In the ‘servant-song’ Isaiah offers consolation, recommending trust in the Lord.
Today Isaiah’s words express both our horror at the way Our Lord was treated, and our admiration for his example of patient non-retaliation. Trusting confidently in his Father, he “sets his face like flint”, even though it is covered with spittle.
On the Cross Jesus uttered the first words of this Psalm which reflects his suffering. Not a cry of despair, but expressing Jesus’ complete confidence in his Father and praising the redemption bought by his Cross.
The hymn in Philippians rejoices: unlike Adam, Jesus did not seek to be equal to God. But God raised him to glory and gave him the name ‘Lord’. Jesus on the Cross invites us to imitate his humility.
Matthew’s Passion, with its lively dialogue, shows Jesus aware and in control. Writing after the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, Matthew blamed the Jewish leaders for Jesus’ death. Jesus died just before Passover, when Jews celebrated their freedom from slavery. Soldiers, Jewish leaders, the inscription on the Cross, all ironically give Jesus his true title of ‘King of the Jews’, the Messiah. Jesus’ obedience to God’s plan gives the Cross meaning.