Jesus knew about the possibility of a violent end. He was not naïve. He knew the risks involved in his insistence about the kingdom of God. It was next to impossible trying to find a better life for the poor and the sinners, and hence face a confrontation with the powers that weren’t interested in any change.
Jesus, naturally, wasn’t considering suicide – or seeking the crucifixion. He never sought sufferings for himself or others. His whole life was dedicated to combat suffering wherever he saw it: in sickness, in injustice, caused by sin or despair. Hence, he is not seeking his death, and he will not be deterred by it, either.
Jesus will continue welcoming sinners and the outcasts, even if it causes annoyance in the temple. And, if he is condemned, he will be ready to die as a delinquent and an outcast; but his death will prove what his life stood for all his life: total trust in his God who does not exclude anyone from his forgiveness.
He will continue to announce God’s love for the least and the last ones, and He will identify himself with the poor and those excluded from the empire, even if it meant a confrontation with those nearest to the Roman governor. If he is one day condemned to die on the cross, a penalty reserved for slaves, he will die like a despised slave; but his death will testify to his God, the defender of all victims.
Totally in love with his God, Jesus will continue to bring salvation to everyone who suffers persecution and sickness: he will welcome those who are excluded by society or religion; and he will offer complete pardon from God to all sinners and those whom society has condemned. Such saving attitude, that inspired his whole life, will be evident in his death, too.
That is why Christians have always been attracted by the Cross. We kiss the face of the Crucified one, we raise our eyes towards Him, we listen attentively to His last words, because in his crucifixion we see Jesus’ final commitment to his Father’s project, and the supreme gesture of God delivering His son as a token of love for the whole of humanity.
Hence, it is a unfortunate that we have converted Holy Week into a celebration of folk cultures and tourist attractions. For the true followers of Jesus, celebrating the passion and death of the Lord should be a grateful and deeply felt re-enactment of God’s incredible love, and a call to proclaim our own solidarity with those who are crucified in their own lives.