Jesus is Savior: Tuesday of the Holy Week 2013

Today we focus our reflection on the second article of faith:  I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, Our Lord.  Who is Jesus?  Names, or at least those we find in the bible are carefully chosen because they reflect one’s understanding of who one is for the community.  Why did your parents name you as such?  Biblical names reveal the person, they reveal our understanding of the person, not just the identity but event he mission. So be careful with how you choose the names of your children.  And so in our reflection on the second article of faith we will use for our understanding the names of Jesus – Jesus, Christ, Son of God and Lord.  Unique to Jesus is that his various names and designation were not given by his parents or by men and women.  Jesus was the name given by the angel in the annunciation to Mary; Christ is the name given by an angel when he announced his birth to the shepherds; Son is a designation again given by an angel in the annunciation to Mary and affirmed by a voice from the heavens which said, this is my Beloved Son; and Lord was again given by an angel to the shepherds and affirmed by Jesus himself when he quoted the psalm, the Lord said to my Lord.

First the name Jesus means “God saves.”  His name expresses his identity and his mission – He is a savior and he came to save his people.  Only God can forgive sins and therefore only God in Jesus can save us from our sins.  Dios gid lang ang makapatawad sa aton, Dios gid lang ang makaluwas sa aton, only Jesus can save us.  He alone is our only savior. 

Kon kaisa nagagamo ang simbahan ta kag ang kalibutan kay kadamo sang nagapretend nga mga manluluwas.  Sila lang igsakto, sila lang ang solusyon, sila lang ang nakahibalo, sila lang maayo.  But we have only one savior and it is Jesus.  All our devotions to the saints, all our devotions to the blessed Mother should lead us to Jesus.  If it does not lead us to Jesus, something is wrong.  Kon kaisa mabati-an ko kamo dira sa likod nga naga-inaway kamo para sa tinapay ni San Antonio.  If the bread of San Antonio does not lead us to Jesus, then I suggest that we take that away.  Everything, everything, even our love for the saints should lead us to Jesus, and only to Jesus.
Second, Jesus is Christ.  Christ is the Greek word for the Hebrew word Messiah.  Ang tinaga nga Kristo nagakahulugan nga Mesias.  Ang tinaga nga Mesias sa Hebreo nagakahulugan “ang ginhibo sang lana,” “the anointed one.”  The Messiah, the Christ is somebody who is anointed with holy oil and in the bible those anointed with oil are kings, priests and prophets.  SO Jesus is the Messiah – he is king, he will rule our hearts and minds.  Kon si P-noy ang iya boss kita, ang aton iya boss si Jesus.  He is the priest – he is the mediator between God and us, men and women – sia ang manugpatunga – sa iya gid lang kita makaagi pakadto sa Amay.  All our prayers will be offered through him and in him and with him because he is our priest.  And Jesus is the prophet, he teaches us the way to God, he shows us the way to God.  We ask the prayers of the saints that they who are the good friends of Jesus will offer our prayers to and through him.  Again, to Jesus.

In the coming days we will witness these names of Jesus Christ acted out.  It will not just be a name.  It will become an act.  Jesus is savior who will die for us on the cross to save us from our sins.  Jesus is Christ the messiah, the anointed one who will lead us to the Father and who will reconcile all things to himself.  Jesus is our focus.  Peter cannot follow where he is going because Jesus alone is the messiah.  Amo na siguro ang rason kon ngaa nakadasma si Pedro ukon I should say ginpadasma si Pedro.  Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.  It was a humiliating way for Peter.  But he has to be humiliated, Peter must undergo this humiliation of denying somebody he so proudly declared that he will die for.  Why – so that he will realize that only Jesus is the messiah, Jesus alone is savior, Jesus alone is mediator, Jesus alone can die to save us.  Only Jesus and not Peter.

This holy week let us focus our eyes on Jesus – on the cross, reflecting on the face of the savior.  Focus your eyes on Jesus.