Sunday, March 30, 2014

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Mark 15: 33 – 39


Introduction

Have you seen our church 's television commercials on Suddenlink Cable and KTRE?  So far, we have produced three commercials.  
The first commercial with “This Little Light of Mine” basically shows our church people going through our Sunday morning routines—Sunday School, worship and lots of smiles.  





The second commercial focuses on Wednesday nights and shows what happens on Wednesday nights—supper, choirs, Bible studies and lots of smiles.  







The third commercial is an invitation to Easter Sunday worship.







In the next couple of weeks, we are going to get you some printed invitations to give away to your friends, neighbors, family, co-workers, etc…  I want you to invite them to come to church with you on Easter Sunday.  In East Texas, most people will be planning on coming to church on Easter Sunday.  Even people who are not members of a church will try to find a church to attend on Easter.  The way I look at it…if they are looking for a place to go to church, it might as well be First Baptist Church!
We are going to get those invitations to you soon, because Easter Sunday is only three weeks away (that is four Sundays counting today—March 30, April 6, April 13, and April 20).
As we approach Easter Sunday, I have been preaching on Jesus’ words from the cross.  According to the four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—Jesus spoke seven times while he was on the cross.  So far, we have read the first three of Jesus’ sayings from the cross.    “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing;” “Today you will be with me in Paradise;” “Woman, this is your son, and this is your mother;” and our Scripture this morning: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”


Mark 15: 33 – 39… 33 At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ""Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? ""--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" 
35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah." 
36 One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said. 
37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. 
38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"

I had lunch on Monday with a representative from one of our ministry partners.  This man traveled from Dallas and was trying to connect with several East Texas churches.  He wanted to come by the church and see our church before we went to lunch.  When he came in my office, I was studying for this sermon.  He asked a question: “How long do you typically study for your sermons?”  I answered that this was not a typical sermon and would not be a typical week of study.  This is a hard sermon about a hard Scripture.
Just think about the words we just read together…My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  These are hard words to hear.  It would be hard to hear anyone speak these words.  But this is not just anyone speaking…These words were spoken by Jesus of Nazareth…Jesus the Christ…Jesus the Only Begotten Son of God.
This is one of those places where the Bible is brutally honest.  When we read the Bible, we are reading the true story of how God worked out his salvation plan in the world through the Nation of Israel and the Person of Jesus of Nazareth.  One of the ways we know this is a true story is the fact that the Bible never glosses over the difficult facts and details of the story.  Our heroes of faith don’t always look like heroes in the Bible.  And, we hear words from the mouth of Jesus the Son of God that don’t sound very Godlike.
One of the first rules of reading and interpreting the Bible is the rule of context.  We should not read a Bible verse or a biblical story out of context.  So, to help us interpret Jesus’ words from the cross, let’s read his words in context.  Specifically, I think we need to pay attention to three contexts: Theological Context, Narrative Context and Scriptural Context.

Theological Context

The Gospel of Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels.  This is one of the reasons why I chose to do my doctoral work on the Gospel of Mark!  There are only 16 chapters in Mark; the book can be read in one sitting (approximately one hour); and the story moves quickly.  One of Mark’s favorite expressions is, “And immediately…”  This is how Mark connects stories and events together.  For example, Jesus fed the five thousand and immediately Jesus made the disciples get in the boat to go to the other side of the Lake (Mark 6: 45). 
In other words, Jesus was constantly on the move in the Gospel of Mark.  And, since Jesus was constantly on the move, Mark didn’t spend a lot of time writing about unnecessary details.  AND, Mark certainly didn’t spend any time interpreting the events he recorded in his Gospel.  Mark told the story of Jesus and asked his readers to interpret and apply the story.
Therefore, we cannot look to the Gospel of Mark for any theological interpretation of the life, crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus.  One of the best places to look for theological reflection and interpretation of the Gospel is the writings of the Apostle Paul.  One of Paul’s interpretations of Jesus’ crucifixion is found in 2 Corinthians 5: 21…


2 Corinthians 5: 21…  21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Paul does not specifically mention Jesus’ words from the cross, “My God, my God…”  But, this verse does help us to understand what Jesus was saying.
Paul’s words about Jesus are shocking…Jesus (who was sinless) actually became sin on the cross! 
Some of our English translations try to take the sting out of Paul’s word by saying that Jesus became “a sin offering.”  And that is a theologically true statement about the death of Jesus on the cross.  Jesus died as an offering for our sins…to atone for our sins…to wash away our sins…to take away our sins…so that we might be forgiven.  This is a theologically true statement, but it is NOT what Paul said about Jesus and his death on the cross.
Paul said that Jesus became sin.  In other words, all the sins of the world (past, present and future) were placed on Jesus.  And all the wrath and judgment those sins deserve were also placed on Jesus.  While Jesus was hanging on the cross, Jesus experienced the excruciating physical pain of crucifixion and he experienced the excruciating spiritual pain of wrath and judgment.
Theologically we can say that Jesus defeated death by experiencing death and coming back from the grave.  We can also say Jesus defeated sin by experiencing the full wrath of God’s judgment on the cross.  The One who had no sin actually became sin in order to take God’s judgment on himself…So that you and I do not have to experience God’s judgment!


Narrative Context

We also need to place Jesus’ words from the cross in the context of Mark’s narrative.  Specifically, Mark tells us two remarkable things that happened after Jesus cried out “my God, my God…”


Mark 15: 38 – 39…  38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" 

I believe Mark tells us about the curtain of the Jerusalem Temple to make a theological point about the crucifixion of Jesus.  Again, Mark does not waste any words in his Gospel, so it is no surprise that he does not interpret the significance for us.  Mark simply presents the facts of the story and allows us to interpret and apply for ourselves. 
I think we need to pay special attention to Mark’s detail that the curtain was torn “from top to bottom.”  According to Josephus, there was a curtain in the Jerusalem Temple separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple.  That curtain was 80 feet tall.  No one could reach the top of that curtain without some kind of assistance.  If the curtain was torn “from top to bottom,” then we can safely say that Mark saw this as an act of God.  When Jesus died on the cross, God tore the curtain.
What is the significance of the torn curtain?  According to Jewish Theology, the Holy of Holies was the place where the presence of God dwelt.  No one was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies on a regular basis.  In fact, only the High Priest was allowed to enter, and he was only allowed to enter one time a year—Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
When God tore down the curtain dividing the Holy of Holies, God tore down the dividing wall between God and humanity.  Because Jesus died on the cross, humanity now has direct access to God.  There is no need for a priest.  There is no need to wait until the Day of Atonement.  Jesus gives us access to God.
There is a second interpretation that I have never actually thought of before this week.  According to Jewish theology, the presence of God was confined to the Holy of Holies in the Jerusalem Temple.  It’s as if that 80 foot curtain was holding God back from the rest of the world.  When God tore the curtain, the presence of God was set loose on the world!
On one hand, this demonstrates that God can be experienced anywhere and everywhere.  We do not need a Temple or a priest to experience God.  Jesus makes God available and accessible to all.
On the other hand, this demonstrates that the presence of God has left the Jerusalem Temple!  Jesus cries out on the cross, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?”  But, Jesus is not the one who has been forsaken / abandoned by the presence of God. God has left the Jewish Temple.  God has forsaken the Jewish way of religion and access to God.
One of the ways we know Mark wants us to see the presence of God leaving the Jewish Temple is the fact that the first person to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God is the Roman Centurion.  Because of the crucifixion of Jesus, the presence of God has left the Temple, and Gentile sinners can be saved.


Scriptural Context

A third way to interpret Jesus words is to look at how they fit into the rest of Scripture.  In this case, I think it is obvious that Jesus is quoting Psalm 22.


Psalm 22: 1 – 2 …  1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. 

When Jesus quoted the first line of Psalm 22, he was basically using that first line as a title.  When the Bible was first written—including the Psalms—there were no chapters and verses.  In fact, the Psalms existed as independent writings without chapters and verses until they were eventually organized into the Book of Psalms as we know it today.  To make reference to a specific Psalm, Jesus could not say “Psalm 22” as we do.  It didn’t have a number!  Instead, Jesus would say, “The Psalm that begins with ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”
If we read Psalm 22 while thinking about the crucifixion of Jesus, we will discover two remarkable things.  First, notice how the words of the Psalmist were fulfilled in the crucifixion of Jesus.  Second, notice how Psalm 22 begins with a cry of abandonment but ends in a shout of victory over enemies and praise to God, who never leaves us or forsakes us.


Psalm 22: 7 – 8 …  7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: 8"He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him." 

These words are almost exactly the same as the words spoken by the thief on the cross and the crowds gathered at the foot of the cross (Luke 23: 35 – 39).


Psalm 22: 14 – 18 …  14I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. 18 They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. 

We can compare these words to what we read about the crucifixion in the Gospel of John.  John describes the way the soldiers gambled for Jesus’ clothes and that Jesus cried out in thirst.  And, all of the Gospels tell us that Jesus’ hands and feet were pierced when the Romans nailed him to the cross.


Psalm 22: 22 – 24 …  22 I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you. 23 You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! 24 For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. 

Psalm 22 begins with a confession of abandonment…Gives a prophecy of the way Jesus would be crucified…Then it ends with a triumphant note / victory…
Some people say we are not supposed to read the entire Psalm.  We are only to focus on the words Jesus quoted from the cross.  We are not supposed to think of the triumph and the victory at the end of the Psalm.  We are only supposed to think of the abandonment at the beginning of the Psalm.
I disagree for two reasons.  The fact that the middle section of Psalm 22 is obviously a reference to / prophecy about the crucifixion tells me we are supposed to read the entire Psalm.  I think Jesus wanted us to understand his crucifixion in the context of Psalm 22.  It begins with abandonment but ends in victory. 
Second, a person who died by crucifixion usually died by asphyxiation.  The weight of their body cut off their ability to breathe.  Jesus didn’t have enough breath to quote the entire Psalm.  He quoted the first line of the Psalm to remind us of the entire Psalm.


Conclusion

Jesus’ words on the cross demonstrate the importance of reading, knowing and memorizing Scripture.  The Scriptures encourage us to be brutally honest with God.  When all of Jesus physical / human resources were depleted, he turned to the Word of God.  Where will you turn?

What sounded like a cry of abandonment was actually a confession of God’s sustaining presence.  When we feel abandoned, God is still there.  In fact, the cross of Christ teaches us that God is present in suffering.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Woman, Here Is Your Son. Here Is Your Mother.

“Woman, here is your son. Here is your mother.”


John 19: 25 – 27.


Introduction

We are all familiar with the expression: “He is so heavenly-minded, he is no earthly good.”  The expression refers to the person who is so religious and so focused on Heaven that he has lost sight of the everyday and the practical.  This is the person who encounters a hungry person and offers them the Gospel of Christ and a four-step plan to have eternal life.  Perhaps that hungry person does need to hear the Gospel and become a Christian.  But, he also needs a sandwich.
When we encounter Jesus in the New Testament, we encounter the Son of God who continued to remind his followers that he must always do his Father’s will.  Jesus preached about the Kingdom of God—the Just and Righteous reign of God in the lives of Christian men and women.  Jesus taught us that he was going to his Father’s House to prepare a place for us and would return to take us to be with Jesus.  It is certainly true to say Jesus was very heavenly-minded.  But, we cannot say Jesus was “no earthly good.”
In the life of Jesus we see a wonderful blend of heavenly-mindedness and earthly good.  Jesus preached about the coming Kingdom of God and broke the earthly reign of Satan by healing the sick and casting out demons.  Jesus told us about eternal life and fed people who might starve to death.  In fact, we see this same blend of heavenly-mindedness and earthly good in the words Jesus spoke on the cross.
As Christians, we believe that Jesus willingly died on the cross to offer us forgiveness of sin.  Forgiveness of sin is what makes eternal life possible for anyone who has faith in Jesus.  We believe that Jesus—who had no sin—became sin on the cross.  Therefore, we believe the cross of Christ was a spiritual battleground.  Jesus experienced excruciating physical pain on the cross as well as excruciating spiritual pain—after all Jesus was defeating sin, death and Satan on the cross.
Despite this spiritual battle taking place on the cross, Jesus was not so heavenly-minded that he was no earthly good.  Actually, Jesus paid attention to the people gathered around the cross and took note of specific human needs.  First, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them.”  Second, Jesus responded to the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”  And, third, Jesus noticed his own mother and responded to her needs.


John 19: 25 – 27…25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27 and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

Can you imagine how difficult it must have been to be Jesus’ mother?  All of Jesus’ life, Mary had known something the rest of the world had not yet learned.  Mary had received word from the Angel Gabriel that her child was the Son of God.  Of course, Mary didn’t need an angel to tell her this child was special.  After all, Mary knew where babies came from and also knew that nothing like that had ever happened.
I think it is fair to say that Mary was the first person to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the Promised Messiah.  Mary was there to witness Jesus’ miraculous conception and birth.  Mary was aware of Jesus’ growing reputation as a miracle worker and one who taught with authority.  And, now Mary is there to witness Jesus’ suffering and death.  Mary was the only person who was with Jesus at both the beginning and the end—present for both his birth and his death.
But, we need to be careful when we talk about Mary.  On one hand, Mary is an incredible example of faith and obedience.  The angel called, and Mary responded with obedience.  On the other hand, Mary is an example of an ordinary person.  The Bible never says anything about Mary that might lead us to worship Mary or to hold her up as someone different from us.  Instead, I believe the Bible describes Mary as ordinary and holds her up as an example for any of us to follow.
A case in point is the brief little story we read this morning.  The traditional Catholic reading of this Scripture focuses on two people gathered at the foot of the cross: Mary, the mother of Jesus, and John, son of Zebedee and the disciple Jesus loved.  In the Catholic interpretation, John is the representative disciple.  He represents not only the original twelve disciples of Jesus, but also represents every Christian who follows—including you and me today.  Therefore, when Jesus said, “Woman, your son…son, your mother…” Jesus was placing John under the motherly authority of Mary.  Since John is representative of all Christians, Jesus was actually placing all Christians and future generations of the church under the motherly authority of Mary.
But is that truly what Jesus did when he addressed Mary and John?  Did Jesus place John under the authority of Mary?  Or, was there something else at work here?
I believe Jesus said what he said to Mary and John in order to fulfill the Ten Commandments!  According to the Fifth Commandment, God commands us to “Honor our father and our mother.”  As long as we are children who live under the care and protection of our parents, this verse instructs us to obey and respect our parents.  However, the Jews did not believe this commandment expired when a child turned 18 and graduated from high school.  In fact, they believed an adult child was to continue honoring his parents by providing for them as they entered into old age. 
The responsibility to care for aging parents was the responsibility of the first born son.  Since we know that Mary was a virgin when Jesus was born, we can safely say that Jesus was her firstborn son.  Therefore, Jesus had the responsibility to care for his mother as she entered into old age. 
Jesus was not placing John under the motherly authority of Mary—and Jesus was certainly NOT placing all future generations of Christians under the motherly authority of Mary.  Jesus was actually fulfilling his responsibility as the firstborn son.  He was providing for Mary right here and now.  Mary already believed that Jesus was the Son of God and the Promised Messiah.  Therefore, her future in Heaven was secure.  But, Jesus wasn’t worried about her future in Heaven.  Jesus was worried about her future on earth.  She needed someone to take care of her physical needs right here and now.
Practically speaking, Jesus’ words from the cross to Mary and John teach us two very important truths about the Christian faith.
First, Christians ought to follow the Fifth Commandment to honor our fathers and our mothers.  If you are a child living at home, then you are still under the authority of your parents.  Children are to obey parents and respect.  If you have moved out of your parents’ home, it is still important to honor your parents.  Make sure that your parents are taken care of and that they are able to live with dignity and respect.
Second, Christianity ought to be concerned with both the spiritual and the physical needs of the world around us.  In life, Jesus addressed both spiritual needs and physical needs.  He preached the Good News of the Kingdom of God while also taking care of the poor, healing the sick and feeding the hungry.  In death, Jesus never lost sight of physical needs.  At a time when Jesus could have focused only on the spiritual battle raging around him, Jesus took note of his own mother and her physical needs.

Of course, there is a very interesting question that comes up when we read Jesus’ words to Mary and John.  Jesus was the firstborn son who had the responsibility to provide for his mother.  Since Jesus was about to die on the cross, Jesus needed to find a way to provide for her after his death.  Under normal circumstances, the second born son would take over the responsibility for his deceased brother.  According to the Gospels, Jesus had four brothers: Joseph, James, Simon and Judas (Jude).  John was not one of Jesus’ brothers.  Why did Jesus entrust Mary into John’s care and not to Joseph, James, Simon or Jude?
I believe there are two good answers to this question.  Both of these are good answers, but the second answer is much better than the first…
First, Jesus entrusted Mary into John’s care, because John was present.  Crucifixion was the most humiliating and shameful way to die in the ancient world.  It was shameful for both the convicted criminal and for his family.  Mary was willing to face the shame and stand at the foot of the cross to support and comfort her son.  Joseph, James, Simon and Jude were not!  They hid in shame.  Jesus’ death on the cross was an embarrassment to the family.
Yet, John was there at the cross.  Because John was present, Jesus could use John…
There’s a lesson in this for us.  Jesus uses people who are present.  Jesus uses people who show up.  Jesus can use ANYONE WHO SHOWS UP.  What are some of the places where you and I need to show up?  Obviously, we need to show up at church.  But, there are others…The bedside of a friend who is sick or dying…Alongside a friend who is facing the most difficult challenge they have ever faced…The home of someone who is grieving…The life of a person who is questioning faith or searching for spiritual answers…Sometimes showing up is the hardest part…And Jesus can use ANYONE who shows up…

Second, Jesus entrusted Mary into John’s care, because of something we read about in John 7…

John 7: 1 – 5…  1 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. 2 But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, 3 Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. 4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." 5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him. 

Jesus asked John to take care of his mother, because John believed.  At this moment in time, Joseph, James, Simon and Jude did not believe in Jesus as the Son of God and the Promised Messiah.  Mary believed.  John believed.  Therefore, Jesus placed Mary in John’s care.
Think about what just happened!  Jesus took a man who believed and a woman who believed and put them together.  This man and woman were not related to each other biologically, but Jesus bound them together as mother and son.  Jesus created a new family.  Jesus created a family of faith.  Jesus created a church!
The church is a family.  Through faith in Jesus, we become adopted as sons and daughters of God.  Through faith in Jesus, we become brothers and sisters.  Through faith in Jesus, we experience a bond that is stronger than the biological bonds of family.  Jesus described this bond of faith in an encounter with his biological family in the Gospel of Mark. 


Mark 3: 31 – 35…  31 Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you." 
33 "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. 
34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."


Conclusion


Church is like family, because both church and family can both be described as “A Place of Grace.”
Grace is the way we enter the church.  And Grace is the way we enter the family.  Some people are born into their families.  Some people are adopted into their families. But, either way…birth or adoption…you entered your family by Grace.  You did not choose to be born into your family.  You did not choose to be adopted.  You entered by the Grace of God.  In both church and family, we are brought together by Grace. 
Grace is also the way we continue to live as a part of church and family.  We do not deserve to be loved and accepted at home or at church.  We are loved as an act of Grace.  In both church and family, we are held together by Grace.


On one of our family trips last year (either Branson, Missouri or Estes Park, Colorado), I saw a sign in a souvenir shop with the following description of home:  “Home is the place where no matter what you have done; they have to take you in.”
When I first read that, I thought…That didn’t end exactly the way I expected it to end…I expected it to say, “…no matter what you have done, they WANT to take you in…”
It might just be more accurate to say “…they HAVE to take you in…”  No matter what you have done, they HAVE to take you in at home…even if they don’t really want to take you in.  And church is like that as well.
At church, we are brought together by Grace and held together by Grace.  And, God puts us together so that we might meet the needs of others and have our needs met by others…Both spiritual needs and physical needs.


Sunday, March 16, 2014

Today You Will Be with Me in Paradise

“Today you will be with me in Paradise.”


Luke 23: 35 – 43.


Introduction

As a pastor, I have had several opportunities through the years to sit with a church member at the moment of death.  Whenever I have these opportunities, I generally try to spend some time reading the Bible, praying and singing.  I believe these are beautiful and holy moments to pray and sing with someone as they leave this life and enter into eternity.
Several years ago, a thought occurred to me.  I have sat with several people as they died.  Every death I have ever witnessed was a beautiful and holy moment.  AND…every death I have ever witnessed was the death of a Christian who was ready to “be with Jesus.”  This made me wonder… Do non-Christians die with the same kind of peace that Christians have at death?
I finally found someone to answer my question…When I did my doctoral work, I went through two years of coursework / classes with the same group of ten students.  One guy in my class was a hospital chaplain from a large hospital in Dallas.  I presented my question to him just as I have presented it to you.  Every death I have witnessed has been a beautiful and holy moment.  But, every death I have witnessed has been the death of a Christian who is ready to “be with Jesus.”  Is there a difference between the way Christian people die and the way non-Christian people die?
My chaplain friend said he had noticed a difference.  He has watched people struggle against death and fight to draw in one more breath, because they are so afraid of dying (or perhaps because they are so uncertain about what comes after death).
As Christians, we can approach death with confidence.  We can find a “peace that transcends all understanding” when we think of our own death.  We find comfort in knowing that in death we will be with Jesus.  How can we have this confidence, peace and comfort?  We know we will be with Jesus in death, because we have already been living with Jesus.  We will die the same way we lived.
Christians know that we will be with Jesus after death, because we have already experienced life with Jesus right here and now…  In some ways, we can say that our earthly lives prepare us for eternal life in Heaven.  But, be careful with that…I don’t want you to think that the life we live right here and now does not matter.  Life today does matter.  In fact, life today matters so much it actually has eternal consequences.

Today, we are reading the second words Jesus spoke from the cross.  The first words Jesus spoke from the cross were a prayer, “Father, forgive them…”  The second words Jesus spoke from the cross were an answer to a prayer, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”


Luke 23: 35 – 43…  5 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." 
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."
38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the Jews. 
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 
40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." 
42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. " 
43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

I guess we shouldn’t be too surprised that Jesus was crucified between two thieves.  It just proves that Jesus died the same way he lived.  One of the constant criticisms brought against Jesus was the fact that Jesus was the “friend of sinners.”  Jesus ate and drank with sinners.  In fact, it often looked like Jesus preferred to spend time with sinners more than with the religious folks.  The one who ate and drank with sinners died with thieves.
Traditionally, we refer to these two men as thieves or criminals.  More than likely, these men were more than simple thieves.  They were probably Jewish revolutionaries.  They were leading the Jewish people to rebel against the Roman occupation.  They hoped to act as ruthlessly against Roman interests as the Romans had acted against the people of Israel.  They had probably organized armies of people and led them in guerilla warfare to attack the Romans…Of course, there is another way to describe their crimes.  These men were terrorists.  They were trying to defeat the Romans and gain freedom for Israel through violence and acts of terror.
One clue to their identities comes from the biblical reference to Barabbas.  Barabbas was the revolutionary who had been arrested and sentenced to die by crucifixion.  Pilate gave the people a choice between Jesus the Christ and Barabbas the terrorist.  The people asked for Barabbas the terrorist to be released and for Jesus the Christ to be crucified.  So, Jesus was crucified on the cross originally prepared for Barabbas.
It is quite possible that these men had been associates of Barabbas.  These two criminals had been involved in the same illegal activity (probably leading a rebellion against Rome).  They had more than likely been arrested together, tried together, sentenced together and now they were hanging on a cross to die together. 
Despite all these two criminals had in common, there was one major difference between the two thieves on the cross.  They responded differently to Jesus.  The first thief mocked Jesus and shouted insults at Jesus.  The second thief had faith.
We don’t really know why the first thief mocked Jesus.  But, I think we can make a reasonable guess.  More than likely, the thief thought that he and Jesus had been working toward the same goal.  The thief had used violence and terrorism to give Rome what they deserved.  He had hoped that one day the Jewish resistance would become so strong that Rome would be defeated, Israel would regain her independence and the kingdom of God would be established on earth.
Jesus never resorted to violence.  But, Jesus did preach about the Kingdom of God.  Jesus prayed for the Kingdom of God to come to earth.  And Jesus spent his life healing the sick, casting out demons, and ministering to the poor in order to overthrow Satan’s reign and to establish God’s reign on earth.
Perhaps the thief on the cross mocked and insulted Jesus, because he didn’t believe Jesus’ methods were working.  Perhaps he believed Jesus was just another failed Messiah. 
The second thief had an entirely different response to Jesus.  On one hand, he refused to mock Jesus.  On the other hand, he also made a positive statement of his faith in Jesus.  We get to see his faith in what he says in verses 40 – 42. 
First, he recognized that he was a sinner who deserved to be punished for his sins.  Second, he confessed that Jesus was innocent.  Third, he cried out to Jesus to remember him when Jesus entered into Jesus’ Kingdom.
There are a couple of very interesting points about the thief’s request. 
First, his request was completely different from the request Jesus’ disciples made.  James and John had the audacity to ask Jesus to give them the highest positions of honor in the Kingdom—to sit at Jesus’ right hand and left hand.  The thief had only one humble request: please remember me / don’t forget me / don’t overlook me.
Second, the thief’s request of Jesus only makes sense if the thief actually believed Jesus had the power to grant him his request.  This is why I believe this is an actual profession of faith.  He believed Jesus had a say in who entered the Kingdom of God.  He had confidence (or faith) in Jesus and only Jesus.


Life Goes Beyond the Grave


Jesus’ words to the thief on the cross can bring us great hope and confidence.  Jesus assures us that death is not the end.  Life goes beyond the grave.
The Roman soldiers who carried out crucifixion were professional executioners.  They were the best killers the world had ever known.  They knew how to torture a man.  They knew how to kill a man…slowly and painfully.  Anyone who was nailed to a cross was certainly going to die.  Jesus was going to die.  The thieves were going to die.  But that didn’t stop Jesus from talking about the future. 
Jesus knew death would not be the end.  Death was not the end for Jesus.  Death was not the end for the thief on the cross.  And, death will not be the end for you and me.  There is something after death.
I think it is also important to note Jesus’ words, “you will be with me.”  I believe Jesus is affirming the fact that we will retain our identities and personalities after death.  We will know other people and will be known by other people.  We will recognize and remember each other after death.
Logically, we understand that all living things will one day face death—the end of life.  Since we are living beings, then we also know that we will personally face death someday.  However, we also know that God possesses eternal life.  Therefore, if my life is temporary, and God’s life is eternal, then I need to figure out a way to associate my life with God’s life.  I need to find a way to hitch my life onto God’s life.
This is the meaning of salvation.  Through faith in Jesus, we can have eternal life.  This is not something we earn or achieve for ourselves.  Rather, it is a gift from God…a gift we must receive through faith…a gift that lasts for all eternity…a gift that promises life beyond the grave…


Immediacy of Heaven


I also think we need to take note of the first word Jesus spoke to the thief—Today.  There is only one way to understand the word “today.”  Today means today.  But there are several ways the word “today” is significant.
First, Jesus and the thief both knew that they would die before the day was over.  Therefore, Jesus knew his promise of salvation—forgiveness of sins and eternal life—would begin before the 24 hour period was up.  (This is one of the reasons why I reject the idea of “soul sleep.”  This false understanding of death and eternal life states that when a person dies, they go into a state of suspended consciousness to wait for the Second Coming of Jesus and the Final Resurrection.  The biblical view of death and eternal life is that after death we enter Heaven / Paradise to be with the Lord.  Eventually, we will experience the Final Resurrection at the Second Coming of Jesus.  But until the Final Resurrection, we will live a full and conscious life in Paradise / Heaven with the Lord.)
Second, Jesus knew he was going to Heaven when he died.  Some people try to split hairs and claim there is a difference between “Paradise” and “Heaven.”  I do not believe there is any difference.  Paradise comes from the Greek word for “garden” and was specifically used to describe the Garden of Eden in Genesis 1 – 2.  Therefore, the concept of Paradise is a restored Garden of Eden—a world where humanity lives in perfect harmony with God, creation and other humans; and a world where sin no longer affects us.
(Incidentally, if we are going to take Jesus’ words to the thief seriously, then we have to say that Jesus went to Heaven after he died on the cross.  That may seem obvious to many people, but there is a minority view that Jesus actually went to Hell after he died—that Jesus spent Friday – Sunday in Hell to pay the price for our sins / go to Hell in our place.  This view does not stand up to Jesus’ promise to the thief on the cross: Today you will be with me in Paradise.)
Third, Christian salvation is immediate.  There is no waiting period for new Christians.  Faith in Jesus is all you need to be saved, and that salvation happens today—not tomorrow, not the day after tomorrow, not a week from Sunday.  This is one of the significant differences between the Christian faith and all human philosophical and systems of thoughts (including politics). 
Socialism has promised for one hundred years that the world will become better tomorrow…once class systems have been destroyed.  Of course, we could say the same thing for Capitalism and Democracy.  Once we work hard enough and save enough money for the future, tomorrow will be a better day.  Once we finally elect the right leader (we haven’t done it yet, but once we finally get the right one), tomorrow will be a better day.  If we just follow the philosophical and political principles, then a better world is just around the corner.  Jesus never told the thief on the cross that he had to wait on a better life.  He could experience all the benefits of salvation beginning right now…beginning today.
The Christian faith is the only philosophy or system to teach that today is the day of salvation.  You can have a better life…and that life can start today…Eternal Life can start today.


Perfect Relationship


Jesus’ words to the thief on the cross can help us get to the heart of salvation.  Ultimately, Christian salvation is about a relationship with God through faith in Jesus.  Jesus offered salvation to the thief on the cross when Jesus offered a relationship—Today you will BE WITH ME in Paradise.
In order to be saved, there is no need to know more about Jesus than the thief on the cross.  All we have to know / understand is that Jesus died for us and wants to give us a relationship with God that can begin today…Today is the day of salvation.
In order to be saved, there is no need for extra steps beyond what the thief on the cross did.  Jesus did not say, “Today you will be with me in Paradise, as soon as you get baptized.”  Jesus did not say, “Today you will be with me in Paradise, as soon as you join a church.”  Or, “…as soon as you join the RIGHT church.”
Baptism is important.  Church membership is important.  But, neither baptism nor church membership can bring salvation.  Only Jesus can save—a relationship with God through faith.


Conclusion


If Jesus promises to lead us to Paradise, then that raises a question…Where is Paradise?  (Or, we might ask it differently…When will we experience Paradise?)
The simple answer is that wherever we are with Jesus, we are in Paradise.  Whenever we are with Jesus, we are in Paradise.  To be with Jesus is to be in Paradise.
In other words, Paradise begins right here and right now.  When we live our earthly lives with Jesus right here and now, we experience a little Heaven on earth.  But, this is nothing compared to the Paradise we will experience after death.  After death, we will experience Paradise in its perfection…There will be no more sin to separate humanity from God…And we will experience perfect harmony between humanity and God, humanity and each other, and humanity and creation.


You don’t have to wait until tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or a week from Sunday.  Today is the day of salvation.  Today you can be with Jesus in Paradise.

Sunday, March 09, 2014

Father, Forgive Them: Excruciating Love

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”


Luke 23: 32 – 34.



Introduction

Back in January, I put together a “preaching plan” for this year.  As I was putting this together, I discovered that today is an interesting day.  Three different calendars all converge on this one day to make this a special day.  Our secular calendar tells us that today is the first day of Daylight Savings Time—we all lost an hour of sleep so we could spring forward for an extra hour of daylight.  Our educational calendar tells us that today is the first Sunday of Spring Break.  And, the Christian calendar tells us that today is the first Sunday of Lent.
Lent is relatively new to me.  I grew up in Baptist churches which did not follow the Christian calendar.  When I was growing up, my churches thought the seasons of Advent and Lent were Catholic and not something we observed.  We were more inclined to observe the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering.
But, I don’t think we need to avoid the seasons of the Christian calendar.  After all, Christmas and Easter are the two most important Holy Days for Christians.  Christmas is the day we set aside to recognize the birth of Jesus…or the time when God broke into human history and promised that God would always be with us.  Easter is the day we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus…the single most important event in all of human history…the day when God conquered sin, death, evil and Hell…the day when the Kingdom of God / the Reign of God broke into our world.
If Christmas and Easter are our most important Holy Days, then it makes sense to me that we would want to make a bigger deal than have two dates set aside on the calendar.  Perhaps we need to spend some time preparing ourselves for Christmas and Easter.  Advent is when we prepare for Christmas.  Lent is when we prepare for Easter.
According to the Four Gospels, Jesus spoke seven times from the cross.  Over the next six weeks (seven including Easter Sunday), let’s take a closer look at what Jesus said from the cross and use these six or seven weeks to prepare for Easter.


Luke 23: 32 – 34…32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals--one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

There’s an interesting thing that happens as we read through the Gospels.  We believe that Jesus’ earthly ministry lasted about three years.  If the Gospel authors tried to write a detailed account of all of Jesus’ teaching, preaching, ministry and miracles, the Gospels would be much longer than they are.  Instead, the Gospels only focus on a few key stories from Jesus’ three years of ministry and move very quickly through three years of teaching, preaching, ministry and miracles.
But all that changes when we reach the last week of Jesus’ life.  All four Gospels move quickly through three years of ministry and then slow down to give us detailed descriptions of each day of Jesus’ last week…the week which began with the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and ended with his Crucifixion and Resurrection.
With all these details about Jesus’ last week…I find it interesting that none of the Gospels goes into details about Crucifixion.  They give us minute by minute details about Jesus’ trials before the Jewish Sanhedrin, Herod and Pilate.  We even know the name and the hometown of the man enlisted to carry Jesus’ cross (Simon of Cyrene)!  But, all we know about the Crucifixion is what we read in Luke 23: 33, “…they crucified him…”
There are probably a couple of reasons why the Gospels spare us the details of the crucifixion.  On one hand, the details of a crucifixion were gruesome.  On the other hand, most people in the First Century Roman world knew what a crucifixion looked like.  Crucifixion was more than just the execution of a criminal.  It was a public spectacle.  The Romans knew that public humiliation and public death did a good job of keeping the peace.  Watching a man carry his own cross through town and watching him die a humiliating and painful death had a way of keeping the crime rates low.

I do not intend to reiterate the gruesome details of a Roman crucifixion.  Let me simply say that the condemned person was beaten, mocked, stripped naked and nailed to a wooden cross.  The pain experienced during crucifixion was worse than anything that human words could ever describe.  In fact, the Romans invented a new word to describe the pain of the cross.  It was not Agony.  It was not Brutal.  It was not Severe.  It was Excruciating.  This word Excruciating comes from two Latin words: ex (Out of) and crux (Cross) which mean “Out of the Cross.”[1]  Therefore, excruciating pain is “pain from the cross.”
More than likely, the person being crucified would have been nailed to the cross by the wrists and the feet.  Traditional art depicts Jesus as having nail prints in the palms of his hands.  (It is possible that Jesus had nails through the palms of his hands and ropes tying his wrists to the cross to prevent the nail holes from tearing.)  However, archaeology has revealed that the most common method was to put the nails in the person’s wrist in order to hold up to the person’s weight.
Have you ever bumped your “Funny Bone” and rolled around on the floor because it hurt so badly?  The nerve that we call the funny bone runs through the wrist and would have been either smashed or severed by the seven inch spikes that were hammered into Jesus’ flesh. 
This is only part of the pain that Jesus experienced on the cross.  Yes, Jesus experienced excruciating physical pain.  However, Jesus also experienced other pain that we might classify as emotional pain.  Jesus was an innocent man.  I don’t mean that he was merely innocent of the crimes he was accused of committing.  Jesus was actually innocent in every sense of the word innocent.  Jesus had never committed any sin.  Although Jesus had been tempted in every way as you and I are tempted today, Jesus had resisted temptation and remained pure.  But Jesus was not crucified for his sins.  He was crucified for your sins and my sins.  Can you imagine the emotional weight and strain of having the guilt of the entire world placed on your shoulders?  Many of us feel weighted down with our own guilt and sin.  But Jesus felt the emotional weight of all guilt and sin. 
On top of this emotional weight of guilt and sin, Jesus also felt abandoned by all his friends in his moment of need.  According to the Gospels, all of Jesus’ disciples ran away when Jesus was arrested. 
Just a week before the crucifixion, Jesus had been surrounded by twelve disciples, a larger group of followers, a group of women and a crowd chanting “Hosanna to the King.”  Then just a day before the crucifixion, Jesus had made a bold prophesy—They will strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter.  Jesus knew that all his disciples would run away when faced with danger.  Of course, Peter did not believe this was possible.  Peter jumped to his feet and announced in front of God and everybody, “Though everyone else might fall away, I will never fall away.”  But that wasn’t exactly what happened.  Peter did run away—just like Jesus told him he would.  Then Peter even denied Jesus in front of others.


Father

It probably shouldn’t surprise us that Jesus’ first words from the cross were addressed to God.  Jesus didn’t speak to Peter, the disciples or the crowd of people, because they weren’t there.  Everyone had left Jesus, and there was only one person there to hear his cries.  With no one else there to hear him, Jesus prayed.
We aren’t surprised that Jesus prayed on the cross, because that’s what we often do when we are facing the most difficult circumstances we have ever faced.  When we are going through physical pain (illness and surgeries), we pray.  When we face emotional grief (when friends or family members die or even abandon us), we pray.
However, our prayers sound a little different from Jesus’ prayer.  Our prayers tend to focus on our own needs.  We pray, “Help me, Lord;” “Heal me, Lord;” “Help me make it through the night, Lord.”  And that is NOT what Jesus prayed.  Before Jesus gave any thought to his own predicament or his own needs, Jesus prayed for others.


Forgive

Jesus specifically prayed for forgiveness.  The Greek word we translate “forgive” actually means “to release.”  Forgiveness is an act of God to release us from our sins and the punishment our sins deserve.
One of my favorite ways to describe the forgiveness God offers us is to use a human illustration about forgiveness.  I got this illustration from a book I read in a college theology course (Fisher Humphreys, Thinking about God: An Introduction to Christian Theology, [New Orleans: Insight Press, 1974]).
Imagine that you are in business with someone who has been your life-long friend.  After a long and successful career, you discover that your friend and business partner has been stealing money from you.  When you find out all the details, you discover that your friend and business partner has stolen your entire life savings.  There are three ways you can respond.
First, you can simply ignore the theft.  You can continue to be friends and business partners.  This is what most people think of when they think of forgiveness.  However, forgetting is not the same thing as forgiveness.  In fact, forgetting is not a good option.  By ignoring the problem, you are not helping your friend and business partner—he will continue to steal, because he has gotten away with it.  By ignoring the problem, you are also an accomplice to the crime.  You knew about it and did nothing.
Second, you can punish the criminal.  If you punish the criminal, you alleviate your own guilt, you help the criminal to “learn his lesson” and hopefully correct his ways.  You even have the satisfaction of “doing the right thing” and seeking justice.  But, justice does not fix the relationship.  In fact, justice is probably going to destroy the relationship.
The third way is the way of forgiveness.  Forgiveness is not the same thing as forgetting or ignoring the crime.  Forgiveness is not the same thing as justice.  Forgiveness is suffering the consequences of someone else’s actions and working to restore the relationship.
This is what Jesus did on the cross.  Jesus did not ignore our sins.  Jesus did not suffer the consequences of his own sins.  Jesus suffered because of our sins.  Jesus did not give us what we deserve.  Jesus took the punishment and consequences that we deserved so that we could be reconciled to God.
Forgiveness is hard.  Forgiveness is painful.  Forgiveness is impossible without suffering.


Them

Of course this raises a question about the subject of Jesus’ prayer.  Who did Jesus have in mind when he prayed, “Father, forgive THEM?”  Who is “them?”
I think the simplest answer is to look at the people gathered at the foot of the cross.  As I have already mentioned, the disciples and the crowds were not at the cross.  Jesus was surrounded by Roman soldiers.  These soldiers were professional executioners who were only following the orders handed down to them by a higher authority.  The higher authority was nothing less than the Roman government—the most powerful political force in the ancient world.
Yet, the Roman government did not act alone.  In fact, the crucifixion of Jesus was resulted from the collusion of two powerful entities.  The Roman political leaders and the Jewish religious leaders put aside all their differences in order to join forces and get rid of Jesus of Nazareth.
This leads me to believe Jesus was praying for more than just the soldiers who were faithfully carrying out their orders.  I think Jesus was also praying for those who gave the orders in the first place.  Jesus was praying for his enemies.
Jesus was practicing what he had preached in the Sermon on the Mount. 

Matthew 5: 43 – 44…  43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

I guess Jesus didn’t mean that to be a metaphor.  He literally meant for us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us.  We are supposed to want the best for the people who most want to hurt us!
Don’t miss this…Jesus was not only praying for the Roman soldiers, the Roman government authorities and the Jewish religious leaders…Jesus was also praying for you and me when he prayed for his enemies.  The Roman government and the Jewish religion were not the only ones who put Jesus on the cross.  Our sin put Jesus on the cross.  We are Jesus’ enemies.  We are responsible for Jesus’ crucifixion and death.


Conclusion

Forgiveness is the first word Jesus spoke from the cross.  And, forgiveness is the first word of relationship!
Forgiveness is the only way to have relationship with God.  And, the cross is the only way forgiveness is possible.  Forgiveness is not the same thing as ignoring our sin.  Forgiveness is certainly not the same thing as justice—giving us what we deserve.  Forgiveness is when God accepted the suffering and consequences of our sins on himself, because God loves us and wants to establish a relationship with us.
Forgiveness and Love and the Cross cannot be separated…
God loves you so much, it hurts.  God’s love is an Arduous Love…a Tortuous Love…an Excruciating Love…(a love from the cross).