Learning from Jesus’ Choice during His Crucifixion

Good Friday comes as an opportunity for us to reflect on the profound message hidden in the events that led to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Jesus had the ability and opportunity to save himself from crucifixion if he wanted to. However, he didn’t. His was a free choice, a higher choice made for the divine purpose of sacrificing his physical body for the cause of humanity. Such choices can only emerge where there is higher consciousness, where life is not constrained by any tendencies or compulsions, where one has a firm conviction of one’s true nature as pure consciousness beyond the physical body.

What are the choices we make in the situations that we face in our lives? Are our choices not based on our tendencies, assumptions, or beliefs? Do they come from the realization of who we truly are? Are we able to go beyond our physical body that we assume as “I” and that we’re so attached to?

Jesus did not work a miracle to save himself. Or, to put it differently, he worked a miracle by NOT working a miracle!

Jesus was adept at healing the diseased and bringing the deceased back to life. Yet, he chose not to save himself. At times, one can achieve a much better result by NOT acting, perhaps one could be working a miracle. This does not mean that one is not performing the right action. In some situations, not performing an action can be the most magnanimous act!

Today, people resort to suicide, a choice driven by fear or frustration, an act of escapism that stems from their inability to cope with failure in life. They hold resentment and vengeful feelings and retaliate when they feel hurt. They are unable to endure life’s challenges. Such actions arise from ignorance of life’s true purpose and lack of awareness of who they truly are.

Jesus was an epitome of faith and devotion that made it possible for him to accept his physical death as God’s will. His physical death provided the populace with the opportunity of atonement and renewal. His sacrifice absolved the sins of his followers and offered people the possibility of redeeming themselves, the possibility of cleaning the slate and beginning afresh.

Jesus stuck to his resolve in spite of the severe torment that he had to endure. So firm was his sense of purpose that no amount of pain or suffering could move him to change his decision. He knew the powers he possessed, but his goal was very clear to him.

What can we learn from this? We need to be steadfast in our mission of fulfilling our life purpose. Resoluteness is a quality that makes undeterred actions possible. One more lesson we can learn is that we should never use our abilities and powers against our own goal. People need to awaken their power of resoluteness and achieve mental tenacity and steadfastness. This precious quality steers one’s life in the right direction. It works like a miracle to give us the ability to achieve every goal we have set for ourselves. Today, we do not have to go through the ordeal that Jesus was subjected to, but it will help to learn from such incidents and develop the power of resoluteness to stick to our resolutions and live by our principles.

Jesus knew exactly what the death of his physical body, his sacrifice, would bring about. Sacrifice is love in a different form; both are two sides of the same coin. Where there is true love, sacrifice is natural; otherwise sacrificing can feel difficult. Jesus’ love was of the highest and purest form, which is why he was able to make this sacrifice and resurrect himself. His sacrifice led to the flowering of faith in the hearts of people, which further led to the spread of the message of love. One decision of Jesus led to the upliftment of hundreds of people at the time, not mentioning the millions that are still following his teachings.

Jesus’ choice embodies the unyielding sense of purpose to fulfill God’s will. Jesus prayed, “Let Thy will be done, not mine.” It meant an unconditional surrender to the Divine will.

What do we consider as a miracle? God fulfilling man’s wish, or man fulfilling God’s will? God has been fulfilling man’s wishes, but when a mortal being rises up to such an exalted state, where he tells God, “O Father… Let Thy will be done” – that is a miracle!

Submitting to God’s will when the going is smooth is easy. One may call oneself a great disciple, but his devotion is put to test when he is faced with critical situations. The path that one chooses in such situations portrays one’s level of awareness and resoluteness. Such acts of impersonal service demonstrate resoluteness, supreme self-control, a sense of purpose, and surrender to the divine will, which is a miracle. When one dwells in unconditional love, which is the true essence of the Self, forgiveness and sacrifice becomes a natural act. Actions that render impersonal service to mankind are guided by pure consciousness and hence they are undeterred.

Such heights of faith, forgiveness, and sacrifice inspire us to uplift ourselves. Even a smallest change that we bring about by drawing inspiration from such great lives would be a significant step towards our liberation.

Let us take time to contemplate and understand how Jesus’ message applies to our life today. With constant contemplation and perseverance, we can learn to perceive even the smallest hints and turn our life in the right direction. This will help us abide in the Kingdom of Love, Bliss and Peace, while leading this physical life.