On Palm Sunday we heard the Passion of our Lord according to the Gospel of Mark. Other years we would have Matthew and Luke. Today we have the Passion according to the Gospel of John which is proclaimed every year on this day. One thing that stands out about this account is that Jesus is in control. He says to Judas: "Do quickly what you are going to do." (Jn 13: 27) He then speaks for a couple of chapters before we get to the start of the gospel we have for today. As the soldiers come to arrest Jesus he intimidates them, such that they fall down, and he instructs them to leave his disciples alone (Jn 18: 6-8). In front of Pilate, Jesus turns the tables on him by putting him on trial and, through him, the whole Roman Empire. He defies Roman power: "You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above." (Jn 19: 11) Jesus, in this gospel, is described as "carrying the cross by himself" (Jn 19: 17) without any mention of Simon of Cyrene (cf. Mk 15: 21). Serenely, from the cross, Jesus commends his mother to the Beloved Disciples and him to her (Jn 19: 26-27). Finally, he expires not with a "loud cry," as in Mark (Mk 15: 37), but rather he says: "It is finished. then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." (Jn 19: 30). The majesty of Jesus, the "Word became flesh" (Jn 1: 14), is manifested in this gospel and we are taught that the crucifixion was not some kind of tragic accident but a part of God's plan for the salvation of the world.
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