Isaiah 50:4-9 / Matthew 26:14-25
In a battlefield scenario, the decision to fight or to take flight depends almost on one factor - the strength and the size of the enemy.
No soldier in a normal state of mind would go into battle to face certain death or decide to die on the battle field, except maybe those kamikaze pilots of WWII.
But whether soldier or pauper, in the face of certain death, the most obvious thing would be to take flight, to flee, so as to live and fight another day.
For Jesus, He knew He was going to face certain death. On top of that He was also going to be betrayed by one of His disciples. It would be better for Him to flee and take flight and forget about it all.
But as He said in the gospel, "the Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will". So there is no option of fleeing or taking to flight.
But it was not some suicide mission or that He was obsessed about dying. For Jesus it was a battle with evil and He was prepared to take its full force.
The 1st reading gives us an insight into the mind of Jesus as He prepares to face His suffering and death - "For my part, I made no resistance, neither did I turn away. I offered my back to those who struck me, my cheeks to those who tore at my beard. I did not cover my face against insult and spittle".
But in the battle against evil, Jesus was not alone. And neither are we. Because the 1st reading says this - "The Lord comes to my help, so that I am untouched by the insults. So I set my face like flint, I know I shall not be shamed".
Jesus showed us how to face and fight evil. He was victorious against it. So will we when we stand by Him especially in the next few days of the Holy Triduum.