Jesus’ Easter Rising & Grace Freely Given

Illustrative of Jesus’ use of His Free Will to fulfill His life’s work is the passage in John leading up to His Passion & Resurrection: “Should I save myself from this hour?” he asked. “No way,” he resolutely answered. So can we all?

It’s not that the Messiah looked forward to the brutal ending to His earthly life before His Easter Rising. He admitted to a Jerusalem crowd, “Now my heart is troubled …” That is, at thoughts of His impending death. Yet, He insisted: “It was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” And, so, the Father said He'd do just that, replying in a thunderous voice: “I have glorified It, and will glorify It again.” Turning to the diverse crowd that included Greeks as well as Jews, Jesus assured, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for [the Father’s] judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw ALL men to myself … For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.”

Even then, with the Passion staring Him in the face, Jesus reminded, “Whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” In other words, Jesus freely used His Free Will as His Father had always planned. Jesus would go on to Calvary from whence He’d finally “give up His spirit” & command as if already in Heaven, “It is finished.” Even then, days later, on Pentecost, Jesus helped a fragile humanity to follow His Free Will sacrifice by sending us the Holy Spirit & its Grace needed to bridge Creation’s gap between flesh & spirit. Impossible job that still lays ahead of us in a sometimes ugly world? Didn’t Jesus show as well as say nothing’s impossible with God? And, that where there is the Will, there is the Way?

Davd Soul