5th week in Lent, Saturday – 27th March 2021 – John 11,45-56
Final Passover
The announcement that “the Passover of the Jews was near” reminds that we are coming close to the public ministry of Jesus. We are on the eve of the week of the Passion. This is the final Passover (an annual feast) in which Jesus will be crucified. There is still debate over how long Jesus taught, preached and ministered in Palestine. The Synoptics are structured in such a way that one or two years is possible. However, Gospel of John has several Passovers. There are certainly three mentioned (Jn 2,13; 6,4; and 11,55) with at least a fourth implied in “a feast” in Jn 5,1. The Jews were required to go up to Jerusalem to purify themselves, in preparation for the Passover. For instance, if a Jew had touched a dead body, it was necessary for him to go through a ritual rites of cleansing. This purifying from ceremonial defilement was done through various types of washings and offerings. The sad thing is that while the Jewish people were seeking to purify themselves, at the same time, some religious leaders were planning the death of the Passover Lamb. This exposes the wickedness of the heart of the religious authorities. Instead of welcoming Jesus as their Messiah and King, they stealthily waited to trap Him, arrest Him and falsely accuse Him. Rather than recognizing Jesus as the Passover Lamb, who would take away the sins of the world and save His people from their sin, they ignored the testimony of John the Baptist, who authenticated Jesus’ messianic claims.
