Passion
Commentary
Each year we take time during Lent to follow Jesus along his road from high admiration to the cross. One cannot be but made a bit sad, not only for him, but for all of those who seem somehow caught up in forces which they cannot reverse. Caiaphas has put his reputation on the line and has to maintain it. Judas has made a commitment and cannot undo what he has done. Pilate is cornered and can find no opening no matter what he tries. There are some other persons than Jesus going through their own passion during those days.
And just think of the disciples. There is mouthy Peter who embarrasses himself before a teen-age girl. And the rest of them must have been watching for danger out of the corner of one eye as they came into Jerusalem that day. You can tell something of their mood when you discover that at the last when things got impossible they all ran and hid. They must have gone through some sobering moments during those last hours.
And what about the women. There they are, Jesus' mother and the others, standing along the road as he carries his cross to the site of the crucifixion, standing on a nearby hill watching a scene over which they had no control. Talk about passion. But most of all, what about God. Can you imagine how difficult it must have been to watch and let events work themselves out. What a painful gift God gave when he gave free will. Will he now go back on his gift and pull Jesus' chestnuts out of the fire? There were those who thought he would. Even the mockers tempted God to do it. But it did not happen.
There was plenty of passion to go around in those days. And there still is. For instance, how does God feel these days when we crucify his Christ anew? Is he tempted to take away our free will? Do we really mean that we want him to do that when we pray for things that would require it?
Sounds to me as if God still has quite some passion to endure.
OUTLINE I
Prophecy takes on flesh
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Introduction: While all of us know that the prophet is speaking of himself and seeking to convince the returning exiles that he truly speaks for God, we still cannot evade hearing these words through the ears of persons tuned in on the New Testament. For us these words can be listened to with Jesus in mind as he rode into Jerusalem on that fateful Sunday. Of course there are those who speak of "prefigurings" in the Old Testament and see predictions of things to come on every page. I think that we ought to be honest and know that sometimes we are reading things back into the story, sometimes we are reading words written by someone who had the Old Testament in mind, and sometimes the connection may be incidental. But not unimportant! In a real sense when we speak of prophecy we are speaking of what God is like and how he works in the world. If we truly believe that he is eternal, that he has always and will always be the same, then we ought not to be surprised that everytime we read something in the Bible it is as if we are hearing the same story over and over. And that is the way it is.
A. Isaiah: Here it is the prophet who is called to speak the truth to a people who would rather not hear it. Prophets are generally not very popular as we learn here. But the strength for getting the job done comes from God and so long as one knows that there is nothing to fear.
B. Jesus. And one thing you can bet, that Jesus was not afraid either. He knew, as did Isaiah, that his enemies were in the back row of the crowd ready to do him in. Still he rode on in majesty as did Isaiah speak on in the same majestic belief that he spoke for God and that was all that mattered.
Conclusion: Little wonder the people said Jesus was a prophet. He acted like one.
OUTLINE II
Hymn to humility
Philippians 2:5-11
Introduction: It is worthy noting that in the NRSV the selection for this day is put in poetic form. And well it ought to be. Here is surely an early church creed, perhaps even a hymn used in the congregations. Here the focus is on the humility of Jesus.
A. Equality with God. Even though Paul seemed to be clear about this matter and the writer of the Gospel of John could say that the Logos (the word) had been with God from the beginning that did not mean that the church had an easy time sorting out this matter. Right away they got caught up in a controversy with the gnostics about whether Jesus was real or just "seemed" to be real. The discussion over the nature of Jesus would escalate and cause every sort of problem until there was a temporary settlement at Nicaea in 325 A.D. Even then the controversy did not end and probably is still not ended in all minds. Let your congregation know that they are not the first to deal with this issue.
B. Emptied. Humbled. The word was made flesh. What God was, was made known to us in Jesus. Someone has put it, "God became man so that man might know God." This is the "scandal" of the gospel, the proclamation that in Christ God himself comes to dwell with us, that this God makes sacrifice on our behalf, rather than the other way around, and that this holy God seeks fellowship with sinners. (Romans 5:8)
C. Exalted. Why? Read the last line. "To the glory of God the Father." Jesus was not humbled so that he could be exalted to his own glory but to the glory of his Father in heaven. Keep it straight. Sometimes I hear some talking as if God has opted out or disappeared from the scene. Paul knew better.
Conclusion: Here is the basic good news, the central creed of the faith of the Christian. Little wonder Paul can exult in 2 Corinthians 5:19. "God was in Christ ..."
OUTLINE III
The whole story
Mark 14:1--15:47
Introduction: I know that it must seem awfully repetitive but let me say it again, "Do tell the story." There are many in every congregation who have a firm hold on bits and pieces of the story but they have no idea just how it all fits together. For them much of the story will be new and good news at that.
I just recently attended the Oberammergau Passion Play and saw all of this portrayed once again, and while it was done in quite picturesque and romantic style the story still made its point. This was a time of great pain and suffering for Jesus.
A. Before the religious authorities. Here were the people who had much to lose. Power, position, influence, and money were at stake. But that is not all of it. Surely we do not believe that all of these people were evil or that they all had personal agendas. Many of them were no doubt sincere and sincere to the point that they were prepared to do quite desperate things to defend what they thought was right. Just remind your hearers that it is just as possible now as it was then to be sincerely wrong.
B. Before the political authorities. At Oberammergau I liked Pilate better than I liked Caiaphas. I suppose that was meant to be so. Their agenda was different. All Pilate wanted was to have a peaceful city and to be left alone. I can understand that. He wriggles every way he can to do what he knows is best and in the end is a loser and I am sure much to his dismay and that of his wife. He is cornered politically and acts to save his job. I wish I knew all that happened to this poor victimized man.
Conclusion: I hope you will do what I have done here and let your people see something of the position and dilemma of those who were involved in all these things. And all the time, there is Jesus, stuck in the middie and finally crucified. Little wonder John will comment later that men loved darkness rather than light. (See John 3.) And ask whether some of us are not still like that.
And just think of the disciples. There is mouthy Peter who embarrasses himself before a teen-age girl. And the rest of them must have been watching for danger out of the corner of one eye as they came into Jerusalem that day. You can tell something of their mood when you discover that at the last when things got impossible they all ran and hid. They must have gone through some sobering moments during those last hours.
And what about the women. There they are, Jesus' mother and the others, standing along the road as he carries his cross to the site of the crucifixion, standing on a nearby hill watching a scene over which they had no control. Talk about passion. But most of all, what about God. Can you imagine how difficult it must have been to watch and let events work themselves out. What a painful gift God gave when he gave free will. Will he now go back on his gift and pull Jesus' chestnuts out of the fire? There were those who thought he would. Even the mockers tempted God to do it. But it did not happen.
There was plenty of passion to go around in those days. And there still is. For instance, how does God feel these days when we crucify his Christ anew? Is he tempted to take away our free will? Do we really mean that we want him to do that when we pray for things that would require it?
Sounds to me as if God still has quite some passion to endure.
OUTLINE I
Prophecy takes on flesh
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Introduction: While all of us know that the prophet is speaking of himself and seeking to convince the returning exiles that he truly speaks for God, we still cannot evade hearing these words through the ears of persons tuned in on the New Testament. For us these words can be listened to with Jesus in mind as he rode into Jerusalem on that fateful Sunday. Of course there are those who speak of "prefigurings" in the Old Testament and see predictions of things to come on every page. I think that we ought to be honest and know that sometimes we are reading things back into the story, sometimes we are reading words written by someone who had the Old Testament in mind, and sometimes the connection may be incidental. But not unimportant! In a real sense when we speak of prophecy we are speaking of what God is like and how he works in the world. If we truly believe that he is eternal, that he has always and will always be the same, then we ought not to be surprised that everytime we read something in the Bible it is as if we are hearing the same story over and over. And that is the way it is.
A. Isaiah: Here it is the prophet who is called to speak the truth to a people who would rather not hear it. Prophets are generally not very popular as we learn here. But the strength for getting the job done comes from God and so long as one knows that there is nothing to fear.
B. Jesus. And one thing you can bet, that Jesus was not afraid either. He knew, as did Isaiah, that his enemies were in the back row of the crowd ready to do him in. Still he rode on in majesty as did Isaiah speak on in the same majestic belief that he spoke for God and that was all that mattered.
Conclusion: Little wonder the people said Jesus was a prophet. He acted like one.
OUTLINE II
Hymn to humility
Philippians 2:5-11
Introduction: It is worthy noting that in the NRSV the selection for this day is put in poetic form. And well it ought to be. Here is surely an early church creed, perhaps even a hymn used in the congregations. Here the focus is on the humility of Jesus.
A. Equality with God. Even though Paul seemed to be clear about this matter and the writer of the Gospel of John could say that the Logos (the word) had been with God from the beginning that did not mean that the church had an easy time sorting out this matter. Right away they got caught up in a controversy with the gnostics about whether Jesus was real or just "seemed" to be real. The discussion over the nature of Jesus would escalate and cause every sort of problem until there was a temporary settlement at Nicaea in 325 A.D. Even then the controversy did not end and probably is still not ended in all minds. Let your congregation know that they are not the first to deal with this issue.
B. Emptied. Humbled. The word was made flesh. What God was, was made known to us in Jesus. Someone has put it, "God became man so that man might know God." This is the "scandal" of the gospel, the proclamation that in Christ God himself comes to dwell with us, that this God makes sacrifice on our behalf, rather than the other way around, and that this holy God seeks fellowship with sinners. (Romans 5:8)
C. Exalted. Why? Read the last line. "To the glory of God the Father." Jesus was not humbled so that he could be exalted to his own glory but to the glory of his Father in heaven. Keep it straight. Sometimes I hear some talking as if God has opted out or disappeared from the scene. Paul knew better.
Conclusion: Here is the basic good news, the central creed of the faith of the Christian. Little wonder Paul can exult in 2 Corinthians 5:19. "God was in Christ ..."
OUTLINE III
The whole story
Mark 14:1--15:47
Introduction: I know that it must seem awfully repetitive but let me say it again, "Do tell the story." There are many in every congregation who have a firm hold on bits and pieces of the story but they have no idea just how it all fits together. For them much of the story will be new and good news at that.
I just recently attended the Oberammergau Passion Play and saw all of this portrayed once again, and while it was done in quite picturesque and romantic style the story still made its point. This was a time of great pain and suffering for Jesus.
A. Before the religious authorities. Here were the people who had much to lose. Power, position, influence, and money were at stake. But that is not all of it. Surely we do not believe that all of these people were evil or that they all had personal agendas. Many of them were no doubt sincere and sincere to the point that they were prepared to do quite desperate things to defend what they thought was right. Just remind your hearers that it is just as possible now as it was then to be sincerely wrong.
B. Before the political authorities. At Oberammergau I liked Pilate better than I liked Caiaphas. I suppose that was meant to be so. Their agenda was different. All Pilate wanted was to have a peaceful city and to be left alone. I can understand that. He wriggles every way he can to do what he knows is best and in the end is a loser and I am sure much to his dismay and that of his wife. He is cornered politically and acts to save his job. I wish I knew all that happened to this poor victimized man.
Conclusion: I hope you will do what I have done here and let your people see something of the position and dilemma of those who were involved in all these things. And all the time, there is Jesus, stuck in the middie and finally crucified. Little wonder John will comment later that men loved darkness rather than light. (See John 3.) And ask whether some of us are not still like that.
