Journey to the Cross 2017, Sixth Sunday of Easter

The Sixth Sunday of Easter:  PALM SUNDAY

The Beginning of Holy Week                    

Countdown to Resurrection – 7 days

Reading for today:
Matthew 21:1-11, 17
Mark 11:1-11
Luke 19:28-44
John 12:12-19
Zechariah 9:9
Psalm 118:25-26

Today begins Holy Week.  We know exactly where Jesus was on this particular Sunday. He left Bethany, heading toward Bethphage – and ultimately to Jerusalem. On His way, He sent His disciples ahead to the small village of Bethphage to keep a divine appointment with a donkey’s colt.

Zechariah prophesied this event 500 years before Jesus rode into Jerusalem from Bethphage. His prophecy was one of the reasons the Jewish people were looking for their Messiah. And by Jesus’ fulfillment of that prophecy, He was visibly and boldly proclaiming that He was the One who was prophesied to come – and for that moment many believed Him!

The crowd was undoubtedly comprised of many who had heard of the miracle of Lazarus’ being raised from the dead. Their promised King had come. Their response was to wave palm branches, and lay their coats down as a sign of homage and shout: “Hosanna! (Save us!) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Blessed is the King of Israel. Hosanna in the highest. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.”

He was lauded at his birth when the shepherds heard a myriad of angels sing  – and now he is lauded again – this time by men.

I love Zechariah’s prophecy: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt the foal of a donkey.”

I love clue hunts. They had all the clues – and for a moment many believed, exalted Him, and gave Him the praise and honor He was due. But just as certainly as that opportunity was present, the Pharisees could think of nothing but destroying Him. Those who were the most religious were the most blind.

Unfortunately, they had a script in their heads precisely prescribing what the Messiah was going to do as King – and Jesus didn’t fit their script. Not then. That part is yet to be fulfilled.

Because they didn’t recognize Him for who He is they wanted Jesus to stop His disciples from declaring His praises, and Jesus replied, “I tell you, if they keep quiet the stones will cry out.” The very earth agonized at what was to come and praise was a prerequisite.

As Jesus approached Jerusalem with his adoring entourage, he wept over the city. I can hear the grief in His voice as I read what Luke records Him saying, “If you...had only known on this day what would bring you peace  – but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

WOW!

Mark tells us that Jesus went to the temple – but it was late, so he returned to Bethany with his 12 disciples. That makes me pay attention. It reminds me that Judas was with him, hearing all of the clamor – and the discontent of the Pharisees – so close, yet so far....

It had been quite a day. Jesus’ focus was on the purpose for which He was born. Satan had tempted Him with political power after his 40 days in the desert just prior to his earthly ministry. We are not given any indication that He had any temptation here – but we do know He was fully human as well as fully God – and that he experienced all of the same emotions we do. Thankfully for us, His will was set to do the Father’s will – but it sure could have been appealing to respond to the adulation and become the savior they wanted instead of the Savior they needed!

On the Jewish calendar the day was Nisan 10. History recounts that this was the day pilgrims presented their Passover lamb for inspection. The lamb had to be perfect: spotless, with no defect. They would live with the lamb in their careful care until they killed it to bear their sins just a few days hence.

Our Perfect Lamb presented himself as well that day. Jesus had waited to come up to Jerusalem until just the right time. He had stayed away, avoiding confrontation until precisely the right moment. Now the time had come. What John the Baptist proclaimed when he saw Jesus three years earlier was being fulfilled. When John saw Jesus coming toward him near Bethany where he was baptizing at the River Jordan, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Today in Jesus’ journey we too proclaim, “Look, the Lamb of God....” The perfect Lamb.

Humor for today: More bulletin bloopers:
Miss Charlene Mason sang, “I will not pass this way again,” giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

The Rector will preach his final message after which the choir will sing, “Break forth into Joy.”

A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

At the evening service tonight the sermon topic will be “What is Hell?” Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

Journey to the Cross 2017, Day 15

Friday, Day 15:  Matthew 16                    

Jesus’ time on earth is winding down. He knows he has to cement the disciples’ faith so they will have touchstones to call back to memory after he is gone. In Chapter 16 he engages them in a conversation that will certainly be one of those memorable moments. I love his question. He doesn’t initially ask who they say he is – but who the people say he is. They have their finger on the pulse of their society! They know what people are saying – and people obviously think Jesus is someone amazing – a reincarnated prophet –  with those mentioned being John the Baptist (who hadn’t been dead long enough for that to be true), Elijah, Jeremiah, or any of a sundry of other prophets...

Then Jesus asks them who they think he is, and my friend – the impetuous Simon Bar-Jonah – gives an immediate response, proclaiming, “You are Meshiach – the Messiah (translation in Greek: the Christ) – the Son of the living God.”

And Jesus tells him that on that proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah – the One who was prophesied to come – He would build his church, and they would be given the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is that key.    Through his atoning death and resurrection he opened the door to direct access to God through the gift of the promised Holy Spirit. The God of creation came – incarnate – and sacrificed Himself.  He made Himself man, bore our sorrows, bore our sin...oops! I’m getting ahead of the story....

Simon’s name was also changed to Peter at that point so he was also named ‘rock’ so there is an opportunity for a little confusion here – but Peter’s role was as a witness to the One who is the Rock....  Peter was not the rock on which Jesus would build his church – but the truth of his statement was.

Jesus clarified His purpose:  to build a church – that’s us, folks! We are the result of God’s holy purpose! Then, after revealing this clearly to them, he told them not to tell. It wasn’t time yet – but the time would come when they were to tell – it just wasn’t yet. God is a God of timing. I get impatient for His timing. I want to act as an advisor sometimes instead of waiting patiently for Him to be the One calling the shots.

In Chapter 16, from the time he confirmed to them so clearly that He is the Messiah, he began to explain what that was going to mean – that He must be killed, but on the third day He would rise again. Peter, who had just been affirmed as a rock – a solid follower – only hears the part about death and that didn’t fit in the rough draft of the script he had in mind. Wait a minute, Yeshua, you are supposed to be the ‘Deliverer’ who comes in on his white horse, vanquishes the foes, and sets the world right. What is this about death? No way!

Peter was so caught off guard that he didn’t even hear the part about ‘resurrection’ – that on the third day Jesus would be raised to life. All those of the Jewish nation who were looking forward to a Messiah thought he was going to set the world aright – that he was going to be both a religious and political force – and once they dared believe he was that promised Messiah, their thoughts turned immediately to an earthly kingdom where the detested Roman domination and all of the political unfairness would be ended.... They were ‘littlefaiths’ – they had faith in the wrong thing – and Jesus called Peter out on that point when he looked directly into Peter’s eyes and stated clearly, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

Wow! That had to pierce. One moment: Jesus’ praise; the next: a severe rebuke. But Jesus couldn’t softsoap that point – nor could He sidestep what He came to do. And then Jesus tells them the cost of being part of his kingdom: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life (soul) will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?....”

The answer is: NOTHING.  We can give nothing.  He was the only one who could give what was needed – and it cost Him His life.   

Jesus ends that teachable moment telling them that some of them will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom – and then six days later he invites Peter, and brothers James and John to go with him on a day hike up to a high mountain. He was transfigured before them and they saw a glimpse of Him being glorified. 

Humor for today:
Each Friday night after work, Bubba would fire up his outdoor grill and cook venison steaks, but all of Bubba’s neighbors were Catholic, and since it was Lent, they were forbidden to eat meat on Fridays.

The delicious aroma from the venison steaks was causing such a problem for the Catholic faithful that they finally talked to their priest. The priest went to visit Bubba and suggested that he become Catholic. After several classes and prescribed study, Bubba attended Mass, and as the priest sprinkled holy water over him, he said, “You were born a Baptist and raised a Baptist, but now you are a Catholic.”

Bubba’s neighbors were greatly relieved – until Friday night arrived and the wonderful aroma of grilled venison filled the neighborhood. The priest was called immediately, and as he rushed into Bubba’s yard prepared to scold him, he stopped and watched in amazement. There stood Bubba, clutching a small bottle of holy water which he was carefully sprinkling over the grilling meat, as he declared, “You was born a deer, and you was raised a deer, but now you a catfish.”

P S:

Happy St Patrick’s Day 2017!  St Patty’s is the celebration of Christianity coming to Ireland!  Erin go bragh!  I am 16% Irish according to the Ancestry DNA test I took in 2013.  The Irish in me is grateful for the Christian heritage that St Patrick brought to the old sod!  Wearin’ green! 

Observations in 2017:

Beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees jumps out at me in reading this today.  When I wrote my first blog series in 2010 I couldn’t address everything, and chose what leaped off the page most saliently to me then, and I need to recycle those, but I am also reminded of the poison leaven that the Pharisees and Sadducees taught.  Their leaven was one of rules to be followed, that made the outside of the person appear to be holy when inside they were corrupt and filthy.  Jesus came to change us from the inside out.  He cleans up the inside, and then the outside reflects that cleansing.  We cannot, cannot, cannot get to heaven by following a list of rules.  It is not about what we do, but what He did….  We will come more and more into alignment with Him as our model, but becoming who we are to be has to be begin with Him, not with us!  Beware the leaven!