John 18:1–19:42
As I read John’s version of the Passion of Christ once again, I was struck by the number of characters in the story that have no name. They are identified by their role, position or simply a pronoun:
So many anonymous participants in the great suffering of Jesus, leading to the eventual triumph of his resurrection and our salvation.
I can’t help but wonder if all that they witnessed changed them in some way. Did their personal encounter with Christ or their witness of the events of those days serve as a catalyst to their eventual conversion? Did they walk away changed because of what they saw? What they heard? Did they, in turn, tell others of what they saw and heard? We never hear the rest of their story.
Most of them only witnessed a small part of Christ’s sacrifice. I know that entire story! I know how the story ends and the grace that is given to me because of it! How often do I tell others the rest of that amazing story?
Sister Danielle Jacob, CSFN
