Why did Jesus come?
John writes in the first book of his trilogy that, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." A philosopher which has had great influence on me once wrote, "To lay down our lives does indeed mean that we die; it means that we die to ourselves. It means that we die to our desires of self-advancement, and we die to our want of attention in order to show someone else that they are worthwhile… Love is other-oriented. Love is putting ourselves down to see another lifted up above us." But since the beginning of Jesus ministry his message of this love has been contorted by man to be that which it is not.
Luke 19:28-44: The triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We all know this story of Jesus' entrance into this city, the palm branches, and the hosanna's. But, what is usually interpreted as a celebration of the savior of the world some have reached a different conclusion of the purpose of this perhaps tumult. Palm branches during this time were used as a symbol of military victory and triumph. The Jews weren't celebrating redemption and a message of love, but a hope of Jesus as reformer: conqueror of Roman oppression. This would explain why Jesus wept over the city (vs. 42): his purpose was misunderstood.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, right before Jesus is arrested, "a detachment of men" as John says, came to arrest Jesus. This word 'detachment' means anywhere from 500 to 1,000 men. Why would you need this many soldiers to arrest a man who preached of love and peace, unless you did not understand him, and believed he was actually planning to lead a rebellion?
His disciples might have believed this too, as perhaps Judas' betrayal wasn't a switching of sides, but an attempt to get Jesus to finally act, as he might have believed this was Jesus' ultimate purpose. So indeed, it would make sense: Judas was getting impatient; putting Jesus under pressure would force him to commence his plan of overthrowing the Romans. I mean, his name was Judas Iscariot, meaning: Judas, a man from Kerioth, a land know for it's rebellions against the Roman empire.
Peter as well drew his sword and cut off the ear of one of the men. Jesus responded to this action by reattaching the man's ear, and stating "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?… And then to the detachment he says, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?" It is at this moment that the disciples realized that Jesus was serious about this love philosophy and at this point of revelation that scripture tells us "all the disciples deserted him and fled" (Matthew 26:56b).
And to top it off, it would make sense that the Jews would ask to trade Jesus for Barabbas, as Barabbas was a notorious prisoner, know for his involvement in rebellions against the Romans. So they traded Barabbas, which means 'son of the father' for the Son of the Father.
They didn’t know Jesus. They misunderstood his purpose completely. Oh, he indeed would bring reformation, but on a scale so much larger—and deeper—than any could imagine. Just as many times we are too busy putting expectations on him that we forget what he is all about and what he has called us to do. We can all get excited about the power of Christ, and "the infinite possibilities born of faith" as Teresa of Avila writes, but we too often seek the possible creations we contrive in our mind over the Creator himself. He does not only want us to know his power; he wants us to know him.
So "Dear friends, let us love one another,for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God"
-1 John 4:7.
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