HIS LIFE IS NOT LIKE OTHER MEN'S
Death, of course, is not the end for Jesus, but only His gateway to eternal life and exaltation by His heavenly Father.
Far from being a threat to people's safety, Jesus came to bring salvation and to give Eternal Life, and yet the leaders of the people plotted to kill Him. They felt that His death was necessary so He would not be in their way in order for them to do what they wanted to do.
Perhaps the real reason for their plot can be found in the words quoted in today's first reading from the Book of Wisdom, "His life is not like other men's and different are His ways," and, therefore, they thought, let us condemn Him to a shameful death. Jesus was a living reproach to the leaders of His day for all their self-serving and sinfulness. Death, of course, is not the end for Jesus, but only His gateway to eternal life and exaltation by His heavenly Father.
Christ Jesus knew His mission. His purpose in life with us would entail sacrifice and suffering which would put Him to death on a cross. His "hour" would crush defeat with victory, and bring us all to freedom, and the glory of everlasting life! His willingness to suffer was to redeem us from our own sins and to restore our intimate relationship with God the Father.
As we continue to journey in this Lenten season, may we persevere in prayer and deepen our relationship to God, especially when we need to prepare ourselves for times when we feel totally alone or troubled. There may or may not be individuals who plot against us (as in the first reading and the life of Jesus), but we must go forward to deal with sickness, divorce, old age, and so on. There are always forces in human life that put us through suffering and desolation at times. Like those who turned on Jesus, these forces sometimes put us to the test to see if God really does take care of us, as we claim.
In the responsorial psalm today, we praise God with the words, "We trust in His love!"