Fifth Sunday In Lent
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III, Cycle C
The Church Year Theological Clue
The Fifth Sunday in Lent floods the mind with memories of when it was the beginning of the two-week celebration of the Passion of our Lord. Passiontide was the third period in the progression from Septuagesima Sunday to Easter, the Resurrection of our Lord. (The three "gesima" Sundays were the first period, the first four and a half weeks of Lent comprised the second part; Passiontide was the third section of Lent; Holy Week was the fourth part; and the Triduum, which originally was Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday, was the last of the five parts of Lent. The last three phases of Lent, accordingly, fell within the Passion of our Lord.) Passion Sunday had the judgment theme of Psalm 43 built into it in the introit for the day, but the old propers made no mention of the Passion of our Lord. The Fifth Sunday in Lent was separated from the Passion of our Lord so that the pastors and liturgical leaders would comprehend the difference between the two sections of Lent. Lent is not supposed to spell out the suffering of Christ for six and a half weeks; its purpose is to enrich the lives of the people so that they will best celebrate Easter. Thirty-five years ago, Edward Trail Horn III, attempted to move the Lutheran churches to differentiate between the predicament of people and the Passion of our Lord. He wrote: "Even the days of Lent have too often come to be dominated by the contemplation of Christ's suffering and a sometimes morbid introspection." He referred to K. A. Heirich Keller, a Roman Catholic writer, who argued: "It is to be observed further that Lent is not devoted to the consideration of Christ's sufferings. This occupies the mind during Holy Week. The aim of Lent is not to move the faithful to dwell upon the passion of Christ, but only to prepare them for keeping Easter worthily ..." (The Christian Year, p. 103)
In the new scheme of the church year, the Fifth Sunday in Lent really has the task of acting as a transition between the first five and a half weeks of Lent, which spell out the predicament of humanity before God, to the last week of Lent, which tells the story of God's actions in Jesus Christ to reconcile the world to himself. The Gospels for the Day, since there are three, should contribute to this transition and in combination, at least, they do. Clearly, this is not the Sunday of the Passion of our Lord, but it points to it.
The Prayer Of The Day
A revision of the classic collect for the Fifth Sunday in Lent (Passion Sunday, in the former version of the church year), speaks better to the predicament of sinful people than the contemporary prayers for this day. A revision of it might read this way: "We pray you, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon your people, that by your grace and goodness, they may be ruled and preserved forever, both in body and soul; through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen."
This prayer calls upon God to take drastic action to do something that will resolve the human predicament and release repentant sinners from sin, death, and the hold of the devil.
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 126 (E); 126:1-6 (RC) - This psalm, remembering what God has done in Jesus Christ, anticipates Good Friday and Easter again:
The Lord has done great things for us,
and we are glad indeed.
It is considered to be a song of the return from the Babylonian exile, in which the people are happy to get back to their land and the Holy City, but are still aware that things are not fully as they were, thus the cry,
Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like the watercourses of the Negev.
For the Christian, it is a prayer that might be prayed in the awareness of the proximity of Holy Week and Easter. (Most of the liturgical churchs assign this psalm to the Second Sunday in Advent, Year/Cycle C. The Roman Catholic and Lutheran propers also use this psalm on the Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost, which is also the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.)
Psalm 28:1-3, 7-11 (L) - This prayer of a person who is in trouble could be put into the mouth of Jesus Christ, if one is inclined toward emphasizing the Passion of Our Lord at this time in Lent, or it could be the cry of penitents, who know their predicament and realize that God is the only one who can help them. The last five verses highlight the kind of joy that is in the human heart as Easter approaches once again. And the prayer concludes with a petition for all of the people of God:
Save your people
and bless your inheritance;
shepherd them
and carry them forever.
Psalm prayer (LBW) - Psalm 126 (RC, E - LBW) - "Lord Jesus, our life and resurrection, the tears you sowed in the sorrow of your passion brought the earth to flower on Easter morning. Renew the wonders of your power in the church, so that, after the sorrows of our exile, we may come home to you in gladness and praise you now and forever."
Psalm 28 (LBW) - "Strong shepherd of your people, when your Son stretched out his hands on the cross, you heard him and he did not become like those who go down into the pit. By his resurrection strengthen your people to offer you thanks for the mighty works that you have done, and make our hearts dance for joy; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
The Readings
Isaiah 43:16-21 (RC, E, L, C) - The prophet pictures the Lord God speaking to his people about the return from exile in Babylon; he considers it a new exodus, "Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" This imagery, which mirrors the "new thing" God has done in Jesus' death and resurrection, is the primary reason that this reading was selected for this Sunday. It reflects the impending observation of the Lord's passion, to some degree, but it more fully anticipates Holy Week and Easter. All four lectionaries agree on chapter and verse of this reading.
Philippians 3:8-14 (RC, E, L, C) - This reading was chosen to complement the first lection and to help Christians understand salvation by faith through grace over against salvation "by the works of the law." Paul was speaking to a congregation that had been "infested" with people who were "enthusiasts," living out a "theology of glory" rather than a "theology of the cross;" these persons thought that they had "arrived," that their salvation was full and complete because they had been baptized in Jesus Christ; in a way, they could "take their ease in Zion." Paul reminded them that there is always a "not yet" element in our salvation ("Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect."), and that Christians, who have been baptized into the death of Christ, must participate in his sufferings in this life, if they are fully to appreciate the reality of his resurrection. So, he is telling them that they must join him in his pilgrimage: "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
John 8:1-11 (RC) - Most preachers will recognize this incident as one of the controversial portions of the New Testament; it was not printed in the text of the RSV Bible, but appeared at the bottom of the page as a footnote, because it does not appear in the best manuscripts. Actually, the addendum includes verse 53 of chapter seven, as well as verses 1-11 of chapter eight; it sounds more like Luke than John, and some scholars place it after Luke 21:14. It is the familiar story of the woman who was accused of being an adulteress, who was taken to Jesus to trap him. He refused to judge her, wrote in the dirt, and said, "Let him who is without sin among you cast the first stone." As the accusers disappeared, one by one, Jesus said to her, "Does no one condemn you?" She answered, "No one, Lord," and Jesus replied, "Neither do I condemn you ... go and sin no more." The reading was chosen to picture how Jesus was getting into deeper and deeper trouble with the "powers that be" and also to emphasize his role in his life and ministry; he came to save sinners, not to condemn them, and he had to go to the cross to do that.
Luke 20:9-19 (E, L) - This "vineyard parable" makes it patently clear that Jesus is cognizant of his ultimate fate; he will be "done in" by the religious authorities, because he is a threat to the continuation of their brand of existence. It is a graphic portrayal of the goodness and grace of God in his creation, and his necessary action in sending his Son into the world on his behalf. As in the parable, the Son is reviled and killed, so that the people can claim the "vineyard" as their own. But that won't do, because God, at the end of time (and when the Son returns), will punish the wicked and eliminate them from the kingdom, giving it to those whose righteousness is in Jesus Christ.
John 12:1-8 (C) - In this pericope, Jesus is in Bethany again, and the reader is reminded that "Lazarus was there," whom Jesus had raised from the dead; Jesus was actually in the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus once more. As usual, Martha served at dinner, and Lazarus ate with Jesus; it was six days before the Passover. Mary changed the scene and oriented the meal toward Jesus' Passion and death when she anointed Jesus' feet with the costly perfume; she seemed to have been the only one in the room except for Jesus, who comprehended what was about to happen to Jesus in Jerusalem. In his putdown of Judas, Jesus made it clear that he would soon die, "The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me." The reading clearly points to the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
John 8:1-11 (RC) - "Caught In The Act." - In the "prime time" television movie, "Burning Bridges," the wife of a college professor, who is also the mother of two young sons, has an affair with her physician. She arranges an overnight rendezvous with her lover, telling her husband that she has to be away on business and will stay at her mother's home. It so happens that her mother picks that very day to make an unannounced visit to her daughter's place, and when the unfaithful young woman finds out, she is virtually "caught in the act," and refusing to lie to her husband, she has to tell him about her affair. When the affair goes sour and ends unsatisfactorily for her, she hospitalizes herself for depression. In the course of her treatment, she tells her physician at the mental care facility that she is sorry that she has hurt anyone. He replies, "You're sorry that you hurt anyone, but are you sorry for what you did?" Up to then, she was not, but the viewer is given the impression that she did reach that point, and that reunion and rebuilding of the relationship with her husband and her children are a possibility.
1. Caught in the act - that's always how it is between God and us. Our sins cannot be hidden; they are obvious to God just as the woman's sin was rather obvious to Jesus.
2. Equal justice - women as well as men are entitled to justice and mercy before God - "Let him who is without sin throw the first stone." Equal justice is in the exchange, "Where are your accusers?" "There are none." "Neither do I condemn you."
3. That sounds as if Jesus were "soft" on sin, that he condoned sin and glosses lightly over it. He wasn't, because he quickly added, "Go and sin no more." That's what he wants of all people, who call him Lord and claim to love him.
4. But the whole incident reveals that the scribes and the Pharisees were the ones who were "caught in the act." At least, they admitted they were sinners by walking away; they were "caught in their own trap." Then and there, they wanted to kill Jesus, but they were afraid to because the people evidently were captivated by Jesus.
5. Less than six days later, they convinced a crowd to shout, "Crucify him, crucify him," and the scribes and the Pharisees managed his execution but they didn't get rid of him. That's the rest of the story."
Luke 20:9-19 (E, L) - "Fatal Prediction." - Once three young men, who had been life-long friends, were killed in the crash of a small plane. One of the three had just received an up-graded pilot's license and was allowed to carry passengers in his plane. He, a single man, invited his two friends and their wives to travel with him from the Twin Cities area to Wisconsin. One of the wives said that she didn't think it was a good idea for her and her husband to fly on the same plane, because their child would be orphaned if there were an accident. She didn't have a deep-felt premonition, she didn't plead with her husband not to go on the flight, and at the time, she wasn't making a prediction, but - in retrospect - she did predict more than the possibility of what could happen. The plane crashed and her husband, his brother, and their friend were tragically killed.
1. Jesus used a parable about a man who owned a vineyard to predict his fate in Jerusalem; the religious leaders, who were out to get him, finally would and they did.
2. Why did he allow himself to be arrested, tortured, tried and put to death, if he believed that things would turn out this way in Jerusalem? He knew that God had sent him to be the savior of the world and that this was the only way that God's plan could work out.
The parable breaks down at the end, because God doesn't destroy those who reject them; Annas and Caiaphas and Pilate and the rest of the people who were involved in the plot to take Jesus' life, seemed to get away with it. God has never cast out the Jews, never destroyed them and some of them have embraced Jesus as Messiah, but most have not.
4. Jesus not only predicted his death, but he also believed that God would raise him up on the third day. That's the part of the story that doesn't appear in the parable but that's the way it was!
John 12:1-8 - "The Plot."
1. It was too much for the chief priests to take, when Jesus added insult to injury by stopping for supper at the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. They couldn't allow the curious crowd that wanted to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead, turn into a congregation that actually worshiped Jesus. They wanted to see both of them dead.
2. The enemies of Jesus developed a two-part plan: to kill Jesus, and to kill Lazarus, as well. What did they have to gain by killing Lazarus? They could make false charges against Jesus, but Lazarus? This much is evident; they were desperate men who would do what they had to do to win the day.
3. But once again, it had to be the crowds who protected Jesus and prevented the priests to execute the plot, not only in Bethany, but in Jerusalem the very next day.
4. Five days later, these same people called for Jesus' blood and the priests finally had their way.
Isaiah 43:16-21 (RC, E, L, C) - "A New Thing?"
1. It was the same "old God," according to the prophet, who would work a "new thing" when his people returned from exile. He would renew and restore them, as he had in the past.
2. It is the same God who sought to do a "new thing" in Jesus Christ, a "new creation," a "new exodus," a new restoration and reconciliation.
3. This "new thing" - resurrection and eternal life in the risen Lord - will last forever. Life in God's kingdom is eternally "new."
4. He has done and is always doing this "new thing" in and through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Philippians 3:8-14 (RC, E, L, C) - "To Know Christ."
1. That's why we hear, read, even study, God's holy word to come to know Jesus Christ and the faith in him which delivers us from sin and death.
2. That's the hope and goal of the first sacrament with its "sign of the cross." An older baptismal rite went this way at the "signing:" "Receive the sign of the holy Cross, in token henceforth that thou shalt know the Lord, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings." We can't really know him without his suffering and passion and death.
3. It takes the whole of this lifetime and a measure of eternity, to get to "know" Jesus Christ and to receive the "prize" he offers - eternal life.
The Fifth Sunday in Lent floods the mind with memories of when it was the beginning of the two-week celebration of the Passion of our Lord. Passiontide was the third period in the progression from Septuagesima Sunday to Easter, the Resurrection of our Lord. (The three "gesima" Sundays were the first period, the first four and a half weeks of Lent comprised the second part; Passiontide was the third section of Lent; Holy Week was the fourth part; and the Triduum, which originally was Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday, was the last of the five parts of Lent. The last three phases of Lent, accordingly, fell within the Passion of our Lord.) Passion Sunday had the judgment theme of Psalm 43 built into it in the introit for the day, but the old propers made no mention of the Passion of our Lord. The Fifth Sunday in Lent was separated from the Passion of our Lord so that the pastors and liturgical leaders would comprehend the difference between the two sections of Lent. Lent is not supposed to spell out the suffering of Christ for six and a half weeks; its purpose is to enrich the lives of the people so that they will best celebrate Easter. Thirty-five years ago, Edward Trail Horn III, attempted to move the Lutheran churches to differentiate between the predicament of people and the Passion of our Lord. He wrote: "Even the days of Lent have too often come to be dominated by the contemplation of Christ's suffering and a sometimes morbid introspection." He referred to K. A. Heirich Keller, a Roman Catholic writer, who argued: "It is to be observed further that Lent is not devoted to the consideration of Christ's sufferings. This occupies the mind during Holy Week. The aim of Lent is not to move the faithful to dwell upon the passion of Christ, but only to prepare them for keeping Easter worthily ..." (The Christian Year, p. 103)
In the new scheme of the church year, the Fifth Sunday in Lent really has the task of acting as a transition between the first five and a half weeks of Lent, which spell out the predicament of humanity before God, to the last week of Lent, which tells the story of God's actions in Jesus Christ to reconcile the world to himself. The Gospels for the Day, since there are three, should contribute to this transition and in combination, at least, they do. Clearly, this is not the Sunday of the Passion of our Lord, but it points to it.
The Prayer Of The Day
A revision of the classic collect for the Fifth Sunday in Lent (Passion Sunday, in the former version of the church year), speaks better to the predicament of sinful people than the contemporary prayers for this day. A revision of it might read this way: "We pray you, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon your people, that by your grace and goodness, they may be ruled and preserved forever, both in body and soul; through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen."
This prayer calls upon God to take drastic action to do something that will resolve the human predicament and release repentant sinners from sin, death, and the hold of the devil.
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 126 (E); 126:1-6 (RC) - This psalm, remembering what God has done in Jesus Christ, anticipates Good Friday and Easter again:
The Lord has done great things for us,
and we are glad indeed.
It is considered to be a song of the return from the Babylonian exile, in which the people are happy to get back to their land and the Holy City, but are still aware that things are not fully as they were, thus the cry,
Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like the watercourses of the Negev.
For the Christian, it is a prayer that might be prayed in the awareness of the proximity of Holy Week and Easter. (Most of the liturgical churchs assign this psalm to the Second Sunday in Advent, Year/Cycle C. The Roman Catholic and Lutheran propers also use this psalm on the Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost, which is also the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.)
Psalm 28:1-3, 7-11 (L) - This prayer of a person who is in trouble could be put into the mouth of Jesus Christ, if one is inclined toward emphasizing the Passion of Our Lord at this time in Lent, or it could be the cry of penitents, who know their predicament and realize that God is the only one who can help them. The last five verses highlight the kind of joy that is in the human heart as Easter approaches once again. And the prayer concludes with a petition for all of the people of God:
Save your people
and bless your inheritance;
shepherd them
and carry them forever.
Psalm prayer (LBW) - Psalm 126 (RC, E - LBW) - "Lord Jesus, our life and resurrection, the tears you sowed in the sorrow of your passion brought the earth to flower on Easter morning. Renew the wonders of your power in the church, so that, after the sorrows of our exile, we may come home to you in gladness and praise you now and forever."
Psalm 28 (LBW) - "Strong shepherd of your people, when your Son stretched out his hands on the cross, you heard him and he did not become like those who go down into the pit. By his resurrection strengthen your people to offer you thanks for the mighty works that you have done, and make our hearts dance for joy; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
The Readings
Isaiah 43:16-21 (RC, E, L, C) - The prophet pictures the Lord God speaking to his people about the return from exile in Babylon; he considers it a new exodus, "Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" This imagery, which mirrors the "new thing" God has done in Jesus' death and resurrection, is the primary reason that this reading was selected for this Sunday. It reflects the impending observation of the Lord's passion, to some degree, but it more fully anticipates Holy Week and Easter. All four lectionaries agree on chapter and verse of this reading.
Philippians 3:8-14 (RC, E, L, C) - This reading was chosen to complement the first lection and to help Christians understand salvation by faith through grace over against salvation "by the works of the law." Paul was speaking to a congregation that had been "infested" with people who were "enthusiasts," living out a "theology of glory" rather than a "theology of the cross;" these persons thought that they had "arrived," that their salvation was full and complete because they had been baptized in Jesus Christ; in a way, they could "take their ease in Zion." Paul reminded them that there is always a "not yet" element in our salvation ("Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect."), and that Christians, who have been baptized into the death of Christ, must participate in his sufferings in this life, if they are fully to appreciate the reality of his resurrection. So, he is telling them that they must join him in his pilgrimage: "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
John 8:1-11 (RC) - Most preachers will recognize this incident as one of the controversial portions of the New Testament; it was not printed in the text of the RSV Bible, but appeared at the bottom of the page as a footnote, because it does not appear in the best manuscripts. Actually, the addendum includes verse 53 of chapter seven, as well as verses 1-11 of chapter eight; it sounds more like Luke than John, and some scholars place it after Luke 21:14. It is the familiar story of the woman who was accused of being an adulteress, who was taken to Jesus to trap him. He refused to judge her, wrote in the dirt, and said, "Let him who is without sin among you cast the first stone." As the accusers disappeared, one by one, Jesus said to her, "Does no one condemn you?" She answered, "No one, Lord," and Jesus replied, "Neither do I condemn you ... go and sin no more." The reading was chosen to picture how Jesus was getting into deeper and deeper trouble with the "powers that be" and also to emphasize his role in his life and ministry; he came to save sinners, not to condemn them, and he had to go to the cross to do that.
Luke 20:9-19 (E, L) - This "vineyard parable" makes it patently clear that Jesus is cognizant of his ultimate fate; he will be "done in" by the religious authorities, because he is a threat to the continuation of their brand of existence. It is a graphic portrayal of the goodness and grace of God in his creation, and his necessary action in sending his Son into the world on his behalf. As in the parable, the Son is reviled and killed, so that the people can claim the "vineyard" as their own. But that won't do, because God, at the end of time (and when the Son returns), will punish the wicked and eliminate them from the kingdom, giving it to those whose righteousness is in Jesus Christ.
John 12:1-8 (C) - In this pericope, Jesus is in Bethany again, and the reader is reminded that "Lazarus was there," whom Jesus had raised from the dead; Jesus was actually in the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus once more. As usual, Martha served at dinner, and Lazarus ate with Jesus; it was six days before the Passover. Mary changed the scene and oriented the meal toward Jesus' Passion and death when she anointed Jesus' feet with the costly perfume; she seemed to have been the only one in the room except for Jesus, who comprehended what was about to happen to Jesus in Jerusalem. In his putdown of Judas, Jesus made it clear that he would soon die, "The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me." The reading clearly points to the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
John 8:1-11 (RC) - "Caught In The Act." - In the "prime time" television movie, "Burning Bridges," the wife of a college professor, who is also the mother of two young sons, has an affair with her physician. She arranges an overnight rendezvous with her lover, telling her husband that she has to be away on business and will stay at her mother's home. It so happens that her mother picks that very day to make an unannounced visit to her daughter's place, and when the unfaithful young woman finds out, she is virtually "caught in the act," and refusing to lie to her husband, she has to tell him about her affair. When the affair goes sour and ends unsatisfactorily for her, she hospitalizes herself for depression. In the course of her treatment, she tells her physician at the mental care facility that she is sorry that she has hurt anyone. He replies, "You're sorry that you hurt anyone, but are you sorry for what you did?" Up to then, she was not, but the viewer is given the impression that she did reach that point, and that reunion and rebuilding of the relationship with her husband and her children are a possibility.
1. Caught in the act - that's always how it is between God and us. Our sins cannot be hidden; they are obvious to God just as the woman's sin was rather obvious to Jesus.
2. Equal justice - women as well as men are entitled to justice and mercy before God - "Let him who is without sin throw the first stone." Equal justice is in the exchange, "Where are your accusers?" "There are none." "Neither do I condemn you."
3. That sounds as if Jesus were "soft" on sin, that he condoned sin and glosses lightly over it. He wasn't, because he quickly added, "Go and sin no more." That's what he wants of all people, who call him Lord and claim to love him.
4. But the whole incident reveals that the scribes and the Pharisees were the ones who were "caught in the act." At least, they admitted they were sinners by walking away; they were "caught in their own trap." Then and there, they wanted to kill Jesus, but they were afraid to because the people evidently were captivated by Jesus.
5. Less than six days later, they convinced a crowd to shout, "Crucify him, crucify him," and the scribes and the Pharisees managed his execution but they didn't get rid of him. That's the rest of the story."
Luke 20:9-19 (E, L) - "Fatal Prediction." - Once three young men, who had been life-long friends, were killed in the crash of a small plane. One of the three had just received an up-graded pilot's license and was allowed to carry passengers in his plane. He, a single man, invited his two friends and their wives to travel with him from the Twin Cities area to Wisconsin. One of the wives said that she didn't think it was a good idea for her and her husband to fly on the same plane, because their child would be orphaned if there were an accident. She didn't have a deep-felt premonition, she didn't plead with her husband not to go on the flight, and at the time, she wasn't making a prediction, but - in retrospect - she did predict more than the possibility of what could happen. The plane crashed and her husband, his brother, and their friend were tragically killed.
1. Jesus used a parable about a man who owned a vineyard to predict his fate in Jerusalem; the religious leaders, who were out to get him, finally would and they did.
2. Why did he allow himself to be arrested, tortured, tried and put to death, if he believed that things would turn out this way in Jerusalem? He knew that God had sent him to be the savior of the world and that this was the only way that God's plan could work out.
The parable breaks down at the end, because God doesn't destroy those who reject them; Annas and Caiaphas and Pilate and the rest of the people who were involved in the plot to take Jesus' life, seemed to get away with it. God has never cast out the Jews, never destroyed them and some of them have embraced Jesus as Messiah, but most have not.
4. Jesus not only predicted his death, but he also believed that God would raise him up on the third day. That's the part of the story that doesn't appear in the parable but that's the way it was!
John 12:1-8 - "The Plot."
1. It was too much for the chief priests to take, when Jesus added insult to injury by stopping for supper at the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. They couldn't allow the curious crowd that wanted to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead, turn into a congregation that actually worshiped Jesus. They wanted to see both of them dead.
2. The enemies of Jesus developed a two-part plan: to kill Jesus, and to kill Lazarus, as well. What did they have to gain by killing Lazarus? They could make false charges against Jesus, but Lazarus? This much is evident; they were desperate men who would do what they had to do to win the day.
3. But once again, it had to be the crowds who protected Jesus and prevented the priests to execute the plot, not only in Bethany, but in Jerusalem the very next day.
4. Five days later, these same people called for Jesus' blood and the priests finally had their way.
Isaiah 43:16-21 (RC, E, L, C) - "A New Thing?"
1. It was the same "old God," according to the prophet, who would work a "new thing" when his people returned from exile. He would renew and restore them, as he had in the past.
2. It is the same God who sought to do a "new thing" in Jesus Christ, a "new creation," a "new exodus," a new restoration and reconciliation.
3. This "new thing" - resurrection and eternal life in the risen Lord - will last forever. Life in God's kingdom is eternally "new."
4. He has done and is always doing this "new thing" in and through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Philippians 3:8-14 (RC, E, L, C) - "To Know Christ."
1. That's why we hear, read, even study, God's holy word to come to know Jesus Christ and the faith in him which delivers us from sin and death.
2. That's the hope and goal of the first sacrament with its "sign of the cross." An older baptismal rite went this way at the "signing:" "Receive the sign of the holy Cross, in token henceforth that thou shalt know the Lord, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings." We can't really know him without his suffering and passion and death.
3. It takes the whole of this lifetime and a measure of eternity, to get to "know" Jesus Christ and to receive the "prize" he offers - eternal life.
