Good Friday

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[John 19:30] So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Ye Who Think of Sin but Lightly

“Ye who think of sin but lightly Nor suppose the evil great Here may view its nature rightly, Here its guilt may estimate…” [Lutheran Service Book, Hymn #451, Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted]

It is not a light matter. “Sin is lawlessness” [1 John 3:4]. More cataclysmic than defying the laws of nature, lawless hearts, lawless tongues, and lawless deeds defy God Himself, violate the blueprint of our creation, and bring death where there was life.

In this world and life, crimes come in varying degrees, and most wrongs are not even illegal. But God’s justice reaches through our whole body – and to the soul, to the desires, the heart, mind, and thought - and to the tongue, our words. To every part of us that God has created.

As the law says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” – “And you shall love your neighbor as yourself” [Matthew 22:37-40]. But God finds lawlessness.

In the crucifixion of Jesus, Jesus bears your lawlessness. Jesus is afflicted by your sin. The sin and lawlessness of the world, of all man, reaches His heart, soul, mind, and flesh. It is not a light matter, but is very great.

In the crucifixion of Jesus, the Son of God bears the sin of the world in more than one way:

(1) First, Jesus, the Innocent One, suffered with those innocently accused and abused. He suffered, unjustly, with those who suffer the lawlessness of this world unjustly. He became joined with those who are wronged, abused, or lied about – publicly, or personally.

Jesus was falsely accused of wrongs He did not do. He was denied due process and given a sham trial. The law-men acted lawlessly to put Him to death.

He was struck in the face. He was denied and betrayed, personally, by close friends – disciples – who should’ve loved Him, and whom He still loved.

Jesus bears the sin of the world by suffering what it is to be wronged, to be sinned against, or abused. He suffered with all who are wronged – known or unknown – to become their Savior, and is with them always, everywhere.

(2) Secondly, Jesus suffered the world’s rejection of God. Man’s rejection of God, rejection of goodness, rejection of truth, rejection of purity, and hatred for God’s righteousness – this fell upon Jesus on the cross.

“The reproaches of those who reproached You fell upon Me” [Romans 15:3; Psalm 69:9]. He is the Lord. The world’s hatred for their God found opportunity to strike Him because He had become flesh and dwelled among them.

In so far as God’s name and righteousness, and the proclamation of the truth, still dwell in Jesus’ body on earth, His church, this is the part of the cross that we still bear – where Jesus says, “Deny yourselves and take up your cross and follow Me.” [Luke 9:23]

(3) And third, Jesus suffered my sin and your sin – and the sin of all mankind – by making it His sin and suffering as the Sinner, though He had no sin. “For our sake, God made Him who knew no sin to be sin.” [2 Corinthians 5:21]

“Ye who think of sin but lightly, Here its guilt may estimate” – here on the cross.

On the cross Jesus carried sin. The sin I justify as not so bad. The sin I give my reasons for. The sin I say is not sin. The sin of my deeds, of my unheard words, of my heart, is turned inside out and displayed in the open upon the cross. There it is!

In the flesh of the brutalized Jesus. “As one from whom men hide their faces” – “His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and His form beyond that of the children of mankind” [Isaiah 52:14; 53:3]    

In the horror of the spectacle of what He became on that cross – in His blood-soaked face – so beaten, abused, and marred, beyond recognizable as human – there, in that terrible appearance, we see the visual of our own sins.

What my sin is was finally seen when Jesus carried it on His cross.

But then, in His flesh – not in mine – but in His body on that cross, my sin died [Romans 8:3]. In Him. All that is sin in me and you, in Him it was condemned and put to death by the justice of God. In His flesh.

Jesus carried it to set you free from it. And then He said, “It is finished” [John 19:30], and bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

 “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” [Romans 5:8]. “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the punishment that brought us peace, and by His wounds we are healed… the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” [Isaiah 53:5-6].

Sin is not a light matter. Which makes Jesus a weighty Savior. Thanks be to God! (1) He suffered with those who suffer unjustly – and is with them always. (2) He suffered man’s rejection of God – and prayed, “Father, forgive them” [Luke 23:34]. (3) He suffered for your sin and died for you – you are forgiven.

All by a payment worth far more than your sins and all the world’s wrongs. It is finished. He is sufficient. And all of this ends with the resurrection of His body unto eternal life – life which He shares with you for free.

Knowing this, let us love Jesus even more. And let’s love the neighbor and the stranger for whom He also died, not in word or talk only, but in deed and in truth, as He has loved us [1 John 3:18]. Amen.

Maundy Thursday

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[1 Corinthians 11:24-26] “…and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

[John 13:34-35] “…A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

“Do This in Remembrance of Me”

“Do this in remembrance of Me.” Jesus instituted Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper, on a Thursday night – the night He and His disciples celebrated and ate the Jewish Passover meal together.

Passover was a meal of roasted lamb eaten in remembrance of God’s work of saving the Israelites, the Hebrews, from slavery in Egypt and from the death of their firstborn – many centuries before, as recorded in the book of Exodus.

And Passover, as God intended it, was a teaching moment from parents to their children. Moses gave the people God’s instructions regarding the Passover, then told them, “And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” [Exodus 12:26-27] 

In other words, as the dads prepared that meal year-after-year, eventually, as the children got older, they would start to pay attention, and wonder, and ask, “Why do dad and mom do this?” 

Why? To remember. To remember God’s work of salvation. “In remembrance of that day when death passed over our houses because the blood of the lamb was on or doorposts. And then God did more! He brought us through the parted Red Sea and delivered us from our slavery.” They remembered, gave thanks, and believed when they ate that meal.

On the night when Jesus ate the Passover with His disciples, He taught them about the greater salvation which He was about to accomplish by giving His own Body and Blood on the cross – to die, to offer Himself up, as the true Passover Lamb – to die for the sins of His people – to become “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” [John 1:29] – to save us from eternal death.

Jesus, therefore, instituted that night this new and true Supper to replace the old Passover. This new Supper in which we receive the true Lamb, Jesus Himself, as our food and drink – for our soul and faith – to sustain us on the way – Him making Himself the true and present remembrance of what He has done for us.

“Do this in remembrance of Me.” If your sons and daughters, young or old, ask you, “Dad, Mom, why do you do this?” What would your answer be? What are you remembering in this meal?

This Supper is not just an occasion for past memories – nor are the bread and wine mere symbols of what Jesus did for us – but Jesus is truly present, living, His body and blood, in and with this bread and wine. As we truly receive Him, we remember Him.

We remember that the Son of God has become our Bread of Life [John 6:35]. We remember that we are sinners who need the Lamb who is slain for our offenses – that we were enslaved by sin and darkness, until our Savior Jesus set us free – that we were held captive by death, but our Savior Jesus has conquered death.

We remember – “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”

And, brothers and sisters, Jesus made it clear on that night in which He instituted this Supper, in His long conversation with His disciples that night [John 13-17], that, in this meal, you have one more thing to remember:  To love one another as He has loved you. With this Supper of His New Covenant comes also the life of His New Commandment.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” 

Remember how He has loved – in His agony and bloody sweat – in giving His back to the whips – in giving His beard to be pulled out – in giving His face to be spit upon – in the beatings, the mocking, and in the piercing of the nails through His hands and feet – in the crown of thorns on His head —  

— in His prayer for the forgiveness of those who did these things to Him – in suffering this for His disciple who denied Him – and in giving His life for all, for you and I, who have truly sinned against Him, by sinful thoughts, sinful words, and sinful deeds.

Remember how He gave everything for you – and forgive each other from the heart. Forgive – not just friends, but people who have really wronged you. Take up that cross and forgive as He has forgiven. Love each other from the heart.

This love, lived, teaches: “By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Remember that this night in which Jesus instituted this Supper is the same night in which He took up a towel and a basin like a servant and washed His disciples’ feet: “You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example.” [John 13:13-15]. Remember His example.

Feet are gross. So is sin, and that’s what Jesus was talking about. “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean…” [John 13:10]

You are all clean because you are bathed in baptism – But we all still come here with dirt, with sin, clinging on our feet. Remember Jesus who stayed, who stooped down, plunged His hands in that water, and washed His disciples’ dirty, unpleasant feet.

Remember, and therefore bear with one another. Wash their dirt from your vision – because this same body and blood was given into death for their sins.

As you gather around one body and one blood, remember that you are all called the body of Christ. “Anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.”

That means recognizing this bread as the body of Jesus and treating it as such, with all the respect owed to His body. And it means recognizing these imperfect people as the body of Jesus and treating each other as such, with the respect owed to Jesus’ body – not because of each other’s works or merit, but because of Jesus.

“Let us recall” – let us remember – “that in our midst Dwells Christ, His only Son; As members of His body joined We are in Him made one.”

“Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup” [1 Corinthians 11:28]. There is a lot that goes into teaching and training the young people to prepare them for this very serious Supper.

There’s the doctrine of this Supper, that it is Christ’s body and blood, which must be believed. There’s instruction in the faith to come together in unity of belief. Instruction in the Ten Commandments, to examine ourselves to come in purposeful repentance. Instruction in the knowledge of the Gospel, to come for forgiveness.

There’s the development and maturing of the heart and mind to be able to “discern”, and to “do this”, thoughtfully and purposefully.

And there’s the instilling of this new commandment in them, to love and forgive as they are loved and forgiven by Jesus. What we teach others, let us remember to do ourselves.

Finally, let’s remember that the Lord alone is perfect. He forgives the imperfect, me and you. So, let’s set the example of coming to Him for our forgiveness in this Supper. Amen.

Palm Sunday

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[John 12:13] So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

[Luke 23:20-23] Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” … But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed.

The Palms and Passion of Our Lord

First waving palms, praising Him as their King. Then demanding nails, to crucify Him among thieves. First crying, “Hosanna!”, “Save Us!”, trusting their Savior with joy. Then accepting a murderer in His place; and yelling, “Crucify Him! Crucify Jesus!”, “Away with Him and crucify Him!”

Palm Sunday is a Sunday of contradiction. It even has two names. Today is called “Palm Sunday” and “Passion Sunday”, or “Sunday of the Passion”. (“Passion” meaning His “Suffering”; different than how we use that word today.)

Today begins with the Palm Procession, the “Triumphal Entry” gospel reading, a joyful “Hosanna” hymn – All glory, laud, and honor To You Redeemer, King, To whom the lips of children Made sweet hosannas ring…

Then the service transitions. The “Passion of Our Lord” gospel reading. And then singing, “…‘Crucify!’ Is all their breath, And for His death They thirst and cry.” [Lutheran Service Book, #430, My Song Is Love Unknown, stanza 3]

We see on Palm Sunday, Passion Sunday, the transition and contradiction that our Lord experienced in His people in that week when these events happened.

On that first day of the week, the Sunday before the Passover that year, Jesus rode into Jerusalem as the King of Peace. On a humble colt, the foal of a donkey – not on a chariot or a war horse – with disciples as followers, not an army – Jesus rode into the city for His kind of victory.

The crowd knew this humble servant-king as their true King. They made a carpet of their cloaks laid out on the road. They waved the palm branches, as they did in previous victories. They knew Him as their Savior, crying “Hosanna!” – “Save Us!”

And they knew, it seems, on that Sunday, what their humble servant-king came to save them from. They knew which enemy He was defeating. “The crowd that had been with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet Him was that they heard He had done this sign.” [John 12:17-18]

He came to save them from the true enemy – not men, not rulers, not nations – but from death. This was the one who raised Lazarus from the dead a few days earlier [John 11]. This was the one who could save us from our lifelong slavery to death and the fear of death [Hebrews 2:15].

And from sin, and original sin, the root causes of death. And from hell which would follow; and from the devil who brought this all upon us. This Jesus is the one who could conquer the grave.

The Pharisees said, “Look, the whole world has gone after Him!” Yet, so soon after, on the Friday after that Sunday, they choose the strong of this world in place of their servant-King. They choose Barabbas, a rebel and fighter against Rome, to be released instead of Jesus – while calling upon the Roman governor to do away with their servant-king and Savior, Jesus.

How quickly did they no longer need the Savior from sin, death, and hell. How quickly did Pilate and Herod, and Barabbas the rebel, all become more important than the King who came to save them.

As they began shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Jesus!”, they were also found yelling, “We have no king but Caesar!” [John 19:15]. How quickly did their needs and allegiances become about this world first.

How quickly? It happened between Sundays. On Sunday they praised Him. By Friday they had no use for their servant-king and Savior and cursed Him with their lips.

You and I, like this crowd, live with contradictions. On Sunday, we kneel before our servant-King as Lord alone. During the week, our minds – and our fears and faith – become set on the strong of this world, whether friend or foe, ruler or rebel.

And our lips which praise His name on Sunday find less use for His name during the week – or even use His name in vain. And those same lips speak ill of brothers and sisters who bear His name. “With our tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God…” [James 3:9-10]

If we confess to need Jesus on Sunday, but don’t find as much use for Him during the week, misuse His name as a casual curse or exclamation, or have a mind focused only on this life during the week, not giving thought about the next, then we are walking too much like this crowd, which praised Him on a Sunday and had no use for Him by Good Friday but denied Him and abandoned Him.

“Hosanna! Blessed is He!” became “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” Yet the Lord used this contradiction in the hearts of His people for His ultimate good purpose of being their Savior. Jesus laid down His life – gave Himself on the cross – for the kind of sinners who would deny Him, leave Him, and crucify Him. He redeemed them.

By the end of that day, the very soldiers who crucified Him were praising God and saying, “Truly, this man was innocent”, and, “Truly, this was the Son of God!” [Luke 23:47; Matthew 27:54]. He redeemed them.

In those few hours, two thieves crucified next to Him were at first mocking Him [Matthew 27:38,44], then one of them began praising Him [Luke 23:42], then that one entered into Paradise with Him [Luke 23:43]. Jesus was redeeming people, buying them back, by His death.

On the cross, Jesus used some of His very last cries to pray for those crucifying Him – “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing” [Luke 23:34].

Jesus went up on that cross to die for sinners who are guilty. To save them. To forgive them – to make them spotless and without blemish in God’s sight by His blood. And to make them new men and women.

We are contradictory. Jesus is very consistent. Jesus remains steadily “God-Who-Saves”. He is not only able to forgive sinners like us – not only able to give us eternal life in Paradise – but is also able, in this life, to make us less contradictory.

Jesus is able to make you more consistent every day with what you confess on Sunday, not by human might but by the divine might of being your humble servant-King. He redeems you from sin and death all at once. He transforms you over a lifetime.

So, trust in Him, and spend a lifetime with Him, to be transformed by Him, that - week-by-week – our life may become more consistent with our Hosanna cries.  Amen.