Today’s gospel reading follows the long recounting of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (verses 1-44). It is ironic that Jesus’ giving life to Lazarus leads to his own death. At the end of chapter 8, John mentions that the Jews wanted to stone Jesus. Today’s reading begins with John noting that the Jews began to believe in him (v. 45). This starting verse connects well to chapter 12 where we have Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with costly perfumed oil and the triumphant entry into Jerusalem with the crowds shouting “Hosanna.” Many in this crowd perhaps shout “Crucify him” shortly thereafter.

As the Holy Week drama unfolds, many of the people around Jesus move from doubt to belief to denial/rejection. From “is this not the carpenter’s son?” to “My Lord and My God” to “Crucify him.” When life is going well, it is easy to shout Hosanna, to praise and glorify God. The challenge is when things are not going well, when our prayers are not answered, when a loved one passes away, when we cannot understand why the innocent must suffer. While we might not shout “crucify him” at these times, our faith is indeed called into question. We could choose to move away from God, to deny his existence or we could continue to believe. As we move into Holy Week and walk with Jesus as he goes through his passion, I pray that you be among those who continue to believe, who kneel at the foot of the cross, who stand outside the open tomb and who eventually have a resurrection experience.