In a sense that Yom Kippur is the holiest day for the
Jews, Good Friday is the holiest day for those who believe that Jesus is the
Messiah, who died to atone our sins for salvation. It is true, however, that
the prevailing juxtaposition of the Paschal Triduum is Passover. Therefore, it
is tempting to argue which Jewish holiday we can compare the Paschal Triduum
to.
To me, it is not a matter of which but rather how we
can put these important Jewish holidays together to appreciate the meaning of
the Paschal Triduum – the significance of God’s saving love and mercy on us
through the passing of His only begotten Son from this world and to put as the
ultimate sacrificial lamb.
To mark the beginning of Exodus, it was the
unblemished lamb that was sacrificed so that God’s people, the Jews, at that
time, were saved as God’s judgement pass over them safely, with the blood of
the sacrificial lamb. It was Passover. Then, the Jews also observe Yom Kippur
to conclude the holidays of their spiritual renewal of their covenant with God,
Rosh Hashanah. In culminating their spiritual renewal – the renewal of their
covenant with God, they atone their sins and make a fresh start with a new
year. For this, it is a goat that is being offered for a sacrifice.
Jesus is not a goat, as he is Agnus Dei, qui
tollis peccata mundi, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the
world (John 1:29). But, the way he was put to death on this day, about 2,000
years ago, gives an impression that Jesus was not only Korban Pesakh (Paschal Lamb for Passover) but also Azazel (scapegoat for Yom Kippur
atonement).
With the focus on God’s mercy, Jesus is Korban Pesakh, whose blood saves us from
God’s judgement, as it was the case with the day when God sent the tenth plague
over all the firstborn. Because of this blood of the sacrificed lamb, the Jews
were saved and were able to escape Egypt with Moses. They also hastily made
unleavened bread so that they did not have to start the long Exodus journey
hungry. For this reason, Passover marks the beginning of the Feast of
Unleavened Bread. Jesus hosted Passover
Seder dinner with the Apostles in the Upper Room on Holy Thursday, as the Last
Supper, to institute the Sacrament of the Eucharist and to give Mandatum Novum, the new commandment, which
is to love one another.
On the other hand, with the focus on our stubborn
sinfulness, Jesus was made Azazel.
Our inability to recognize the sinfulness within – fungus of evil and its
spores hidden in our heart – made us easily persuaded by those who are even
more psychopathological, turning our heart against Jesus, the very man, we just
praised and welcomed as the Messiah on Palm Sunday, waving palms and shouting, “Hosanna exelsis!”(Messiah, we beg you,
please save us in heaven!). Those who were more psychopathological were the
religious leaders, whose envy (Mark 15:10), made them conspire the Roman
Governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, to crucify Jesus.
These words of Caiaphas, the chief priest, “one
man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish”(John 11:50), as the religious
leaders were planning to have Jesus arrested and to be executed by the Romans
to save themselves also suggest that it is the very sinfulness of us,
psychopathology within us, such as envy, whatever our narcissistic disposition
within our heart, drives us, making Jesus Azazel.
Our sinful heart makes us reluctant to face what we
deserve – due judgement. This psychological reluctance also puts a scapegoat to
avoid the judgement. This reflects one of the Freudian ego defense mechanism,
displacement.
It would have been our own sinful heart, heart of
narcissistic psychopathology, represented by the conspiring religious leaders
and the persuaded crowds in Jerusalem, that deserved what Jesus had to go
through on this day, about 2,000 years ago.
Recognizing meaning of both Korban
Pesakh for Passover and Azazel for Yom Kippur, we experience the
immeasurable depth of God’s mercy and love for us – for not putting us in the
Passion and death that Jesus had to go through on this day.
How can we express our gratitude to God the Father,
who did not put us in that judgement but put His only begotten Son, instead?
Likewise, how can we demonstrate our gratefulness to Jesus, the Son, who is the
Christ, for being both Korban Pesakh and
Azazel to save us? Because of Jesus’
absolute obedience to the will of the Father, Good Friday became possible, as
to fulfill a prophetic scripture narrative. The First Reading (Isaiah
52-13-53-12) for Good Friday Liturgy of the Word suggests that Jesus had to die
to fulfill this scripture narrative.
Because of Jesus’ strengths, which were tested during
his 40-day fasting (Matthew 4:1-11; for Year B First Sunday Gospel reading,
Mark 1:12-15) and further assured in his prayer in Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-42//Matthew
26:36-46//Luke 22:39-46), nothing could interfere the will of the Father to be
carried out as prophesized in the Old Testament. Because of this, not only his
own will but also all external circumstances, such as Peter’s attempts to
interfere, could not interfere the will of the Father for us to be saved.
This day, Good Friday, is not only the memorial day of
Jesus’ death and a fatal consequence of our sins on him but also the day to
truly appreciate the infinite mercy and love of God. This shall prompt conversion of our heart to
renew our covenant with God while we await the resurrection.
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