Saturday, 6th April 2019

The Prophet Jeremiah, who suffered much, is often taken as a pre-figure of Jesus. Jeremiah sees himself “like a trusting lamb led to slaughter”. This image was also used by Isaiah in describing God’s Suffering Servant and so came to influence the New Testament. John the Baptist called Jesus “The Lamb of God” and the Apocalypse develops this imagery.

Jesus did indeed go to his death “like a lamb” in the sense that he did nothing to resist those who wished to kill him or to escape from them. However, where Jeremiah says that he “had not realized that they were hatching plots against me”, that does not apply to Jesus, for in his public life he learned about such plots.

Yet he consciously and courageously continued his work of our redemption: “today and tomorrow I cast out devils and on the third day attain my end” (Lk.13:32).

This courage is one of the traits we can admire in Jesus: We see it once again in Gethsemane when he put himself entirely in his Father’s hands and accepted the cup of suffering, the cup of our salvation.

Lord Jesus, grant us the courage to be like You, faithful and courageous in facing all suffering and hardships.