Good Friday- Isaiah 53, John 19

 Good Friday always seems like a time to read, hear, and meditate upon the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ and to pray quietly and deeply. Let us briefly emphasize two of today's readings. Isaiah 53 is one of several passages which speaks of the Suffering Servant of God. This Messianic figure bears horrible sufferings innocently for the redemption of God's people. In the end, He also overcomes suffering and is honored by the Lord God. Jesus Himself alludes to such prophecies and applies them to Himself and  His work (Luke 24:26-27). Later, the Apostles (I Peter 2:22-25), Evangelists (Matthew 27: 12,29; John 12:38), and Christians down through the centuries have seen these prophecies fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

We see Isaiah's prophecy made personal and concrete in the Passion account from John 19. Jesus is holy and innocent. He deserves all honor, respect, and love. Yet, He humbly and quietly accepts rejection, insults, physical abuse, torture, and an excruciating and slow death to deliver people from sin, death, and the devil. He suffers for our transgressions. He lays down His life for His sheep. Jesus restores balance to a fallen creation. He overcomes the imbalance and disorder caused by sin. He does something that we humans could never do for ourselves. He atones for our sin; He graciously reconciles sinners with divine righteousness. Only through Christ's suffering and His perfect offering on the cross does divine goodness decidedly triumph. Because of His redeeming work, it is "Good Friday" after all. Thanks be to God!

Palm Sunday- Matthew 21; Matthew 26 & 27

 The last Sunday in Lent, or as the traditional Books of Common Prayer say, "The Sunday Next Before Easter," is commonly called Palm Sunday. This title is common even among some Christian groups that do not observe most of the Christian calendar. The triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem at the beginning of the first Holy Week has been observed publicly since the early fourth century in Palestine. There is a certain joy in the event, but there has always been a bit of irony about the observance and the events it recalls.

Certainly, the story of Christ's triumphal entrance (Matthew 21:1-11 and parallels) into Jerusalem should be remembered. The event was rich in symbolism. He came on a donkey as a peaceful king from the ancient East would come to be enthroned. And the children and humble people present that day welcomed and praised Him. He deserved the praise and recognition. He was the true king of God's people, the Messianic deliverer. Unfortunately, the crowds did not really understand Him. They did not accept His spiritual type of leadership. They were looking for a political deliverer, and when the crowds were disappointed, they would quickly turn on Jesus and accept His crucifixion. Thus, the Palm Gospel for the day naturally leads us to the Passion Gospel (Matthew 26 & 27), which is central for this day. 

In fact, the Passion accounts are at the heart of all our readings during this week. The events that we commemorate this week are key to the entire Christian message. The Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ are the greatest acts of God for our salvation. Without them, Jesus' birth and ministry lose significance. Without them, we have no hope of redemption from our sins, no hope of eternal life. A faithful response to the events of Holy Week and Easter is at the heart of what it means to be Christian. Therefore, let us take time all this week to listen, read, and meditate on these painful but mighty acts of God.

Sunday next before Easter, commonly called Palm Sunday- Phil. 2

Many people know this Sunday as Palm Sunday from the Gospel accounts of Jesus entering Jerusalem on this day.  Many also expect the long account of Christ's Passion from Matthew 27. Although the events are distinctive, these two readings from the Gospel tell us what happened this week. Jesus our Lord was glorified and then rejected and horribly killed.  As human beings, we may have some difficulty keeping these two aspects of Holy Week together in our thoughts.  Yet, they belong together, and in the Epistle from Philippians 2, the Apostle Paul ties the themes together in a beautiful way. 

Philippians 2: 5 -11 reads: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This passage from Philippians may be an early Christian creedal hymn, and the words can be applied to many commemorations of the Christian faith. As we look at them on Palm Sunday, the words are very appropriate at the beginning of Holy Week. Their devotional significance is to draw us closer to the "mind" or attitude of Christ (2:5). The divine and unique Son of God deserves praise as the King of Israel and the King of all creation. Yet, He comes in humility in order to redeem human beings.

We see this humble acceptance of the human condition at His birth and throughout His earthly ministry, but it culminates in Holy Week and Good Friday: "He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (2:8). These words summarize the details of the Passion Gospels. Christ voluntarily humbled Himself. The divine Son became the servant so that He could accomplish the ultimate obedience to holy principles, obedience unto death which had no rightful dominion over Him. Furthermore, the death He accepted was not just any death but death upon the cross. He accepted crucifixion, one of the most degrading and horrifying means of torture and execution devised by cruel men.

The Cross of Christ should always be at the center of Christian preaching, doctrine, and devotion. It is at the heart of Christ's earthly ministry, and it is a basic element in understanding the profound meaning of divine love. Nevertheless, as central as the Cross is to our Christian faith and life, the words of Philippians 2:9-11 also teach us that believers should look beyond the Cross. The Cross is necessary and central to our faith, but Jesus Christ transforms the Cross. He suffers as a human being, but He is also God the Son who cannot be conquered in the end. His perfect obedience and sacrifice are accepted, and He is exalted. He receives "a name which is above every name."

This means that as believers, we see a deeper reality. The way of the Cross is the path toward Resurrection and true Life. So like our Lord, we walk the way of the Cross both figuratively and in the real trials of human existence because we trust that God uses the Cross for our redemption and true life.

Tuesday before Easter- Isaiah 50; Mark 15

For the Tuesday before Easter (Tuesday in Holy Week), the Book of Common Prayer continues the Passion Gospel from Mark 15:1-39. It also provides a reading from Isaiah 50: 5-11 as a liturgical epistle. This Suffering Servant passage continues the theme of the way of the cross, and its wording is reflected in the 1928 collect of the day: "O Lord God, whose blessed Son, our Saviour, gave his back to the smiters and hid not his face from shame..."

Holy Week is a special reminder that earthly life will always involve suffering. The pertinent question is not whether we human beings suffer but rather how we suffer. Do we merely try to avoid as much suffering as possible? Do we respond as pagan stoics? Or do we complain loudly when we suffer? For Christians, none of these responses is sufficient. Rather we look to our Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, our sufferings do not really compare to those of the holy and innocent Son of God. But we should seek divine grace to accept earthly suffering as a way to draw closer to Jesus Christ.  As we contemplate Christ's way of the cross, may we draw closer to Him and see all our human problems as opportunities to grow in grace!

Pre-Lent: Quinquagesima- Luke 18

This Sunday, Quinquagesima, is the fiftieth day before Easter and the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. The Gospel from St. Luke 18 talks about Christ's Way of the Cross. It also shows us two kinds of blindness. The blind beggar by the Jericho road is blind physically. He has faith in Jesus and is healed quickly. The twelve closest disciples, however, have a problem with spiritual blindness. They think that Jesus is the Messiah, but they have not yet understood His way of being the Messiah. They have not yet come to see that He is the Suffering Servant who redeems others through His afflictions. It will take longer to cure them of their blindness. Only by following Him through the difficult days that lead to the Cross and Empty Tomb will they come to appreciate the true nature of His ministry.

As we approach the beginning of Lent, we can apply this Gospel to ourselves. Have we been spiritually blind? Have we seen the necessity of Christ's suffering and death for our redemption? And are we willing to follow Jesus Christ along the difficult Way of the Cross? Only God's grace working through the Word and the Holy Ghost can open our spiritual eyes to the redeeming work of Christ in His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. 

Holy Week, the Passion Gospels

 Since the first Book of Common Prayer in 1549, Anglicans have continued the ancient Christian tradition of reading large portions of the Gospel Passion narratives during Holy Week. Indeed, such readings may go back to the earliest years of the Church when the Passion and Resurrection narratives were probably the first parts of the Gospels to be written and read in worship. Some lectionaries since the 1970s have modified the selections, but the sequence from 1549 through 1962 remained basically the same in all versions of the Prayer Book.

So during this Holy Week, whether one can attend services where the Passion narratives are read aloud or one must simply read at home, I would encourage the following readings along with any other services or devotions.

Palm Sunday- Matthew 27

Monday- Mark 14

Tuesday- Mark 15

Wednesday- Luke 22

Maundy Thursday- Luke 23

Good Friday- John (18 and) 19

Lent V, commonly called Passion Sunday- John 6, Hebrews 9

Some newer liturgical calendars call the Sunday before Easter (popularly called Palm Sunday) Passion Sunday because the Passion Gospel is read. However, some other calendars (including the 1927/28 Proposed English, the 1928 American, the 1962 Canadian, and the 2019 ACNA Books of Common Prayer) use the older popular designation of the Fifth Sunday in Lent as "Passion Sunday."

The readings in the 1928 BCP are consistent with the Passion Sunday designation. The Gospel from John 6 points to the theological conflicts that led to plots against Jesus. The Epistle from Hebrews 9:11-15 turns our thoughts to the significance of Christ's passion and death. Hebrews 9:11 speaks of Christ as "high priest of good things to come." Hebrews 9:12 adds, "... by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." Comparing the self-sacrifice of Christ to the old temple sacrifices, Hebrews 9:14 exclaims, "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God"! Hebrew 9:15 concludes that Christ brings "the promise of eternal inheritance."

On Palm Sunday and during Holy Week, we will spend a lot of time focusing on the details of our Lord's Passion and Death. On the Fifth Sunday in Lent, Passion Sunday, let us take time for some preliminary and personal reflections about why He suffered and what His sacrifice means for us.

Quinquagesima or the Sunday next before Lent- Luke 18:31-43

This Sunday before Lent begins is traditionally known as Quinquagesima, the Latin word for "fifty" (it is 49 days before Easter).  As we look toward our Lenten preparations for Easter which begin on Ash Wednesday, the Gospel today Luke 18:31-43 tells us important things for living the Christian life. In this passage, we see our Lord confronting two types of human blindness. Of course, there is the physical blindness of the beggar at Jericho. Our Lord deals with this problem miraculously and quickly, and it becomes an occasion to praise God. 

However, there is another blindness in the passage which takes longer to remedy. This is the spiritual blindness of the Twelve. They have spent time with Jesus, and they honor Him in many ways. They have a rudimentary faith that He is the Messiah. Yet, their expectations of the Messiah remain immature and superficial. They just want to hear prophecies about and think about His glorious actions and triumphs. Jesus tells them repeatedly that He is the suffering Messiah who is mentioned in the prophecies, but they don’t want to hear such unpleasantness.

As Luke 18:34 indicates, “This saying was hid from them….” They choose to be blind. Despite His teachings and predictions, it will only be after His resurrection that they have their eyes opened. Only then will they begin truly to see and understand Christ’s work of redemption. 

Christians have often continued to be like those first disciples. Although we have heard of Christ's death and resurrection, we still try to ignore His teachings about suffering. We prefer to ignore the trials and pains that Christ, His Church, and we as His followers endure in this world. We want the glory without humility. We want heavenly life without the cross and resurrection. But Christ keeps telling us that we must first follow Him in the way of the cross. So, as we look toward Lent and think of Christ’s journey to the cross, may our spiritual insight be better! May our eyes be opened to see the redemptive purposes of humility and suffering in this world! Only then can we truly appreciate the glorious victory of Easter.

Trinity IV- Romans 8:18

The Epistle for this Fourth Sunday after Trinity begins with one of many favorite verses. Romans 8:18 says, "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." These sacred words remind us that Christians have a different perspective on earthly life from the perspectives of other human beings. Even in the good times, careful consideration shows that earthly happiness and pleasure are fleeting. Each human individual has his/her times of trial, pain, and suffering. Every culture, nation, or social group has difficult times. A glance at events near or far shows diverse problems, disasters, and threats. Despite many blessings and joys, the realities of life on earth can be very disheartening.

However, as St. Paul also points out, the sufferings of this present time do not have the final word. Christians have faith and hope in Jesus Christ who suffered and died, but rose in glory. Because of Christ, we consider the glory that shall be revealed in us as members of the Body of Christ. Whatever the trials of our personal lives, our family, our particular church, our country, or the general human experience, we abide in Christian hope.

Good Friday- The Passion according to St. John 18 and 19

Good Friday is one of the most important observances of the Christian year. Over the centuries, Christians have developed a variety of devotions appropriate for the day. One resource used by some Christians has been a timeline to guide meditations throughout the day. Some such timelines have tried to draw together the different Passion accounts, but ten years ago, I developed the following one based on St. John chapters 18 and 19 which are used in the traditional readings for the day.

Friday morning just after midnight - Confrontation in Garden and Jesus' Arrest (John 18:1-12)

Friday early morning hours– Jesus is taken to the house of Annas, former High Priest; Peter's first denial; Jesus receives initial physical abuse (John 18:13-23);

Jesus sent to the High Priest Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin Court –Peter's second and third denials; Jesus bloodied by abuse (John 18:24-27).

Friday 6:00 a.m.-8:30 a.m. - Hearing before the Roman governor Pilate; Pilate tries to release Jesus but the Judean mob objects and prefers the release of Barabas (John 18:28-40).

Pilate has Jesus beaten.- Pilate's Roman soldiers take Jesus into the court ("Praetorium") and engage in mockery and torture, including a brutal crown of thorns (John 19:1-3) .

Pilate hesitates but the mob still cries out against Jesus (John 19:4-15).

Friday 9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon - Pilate hands Jesus over for crucifixion. Weakened by interrogations, sleep deprivation, and beatings, Jesus is forced to carry his own cross to the place of execution; then He is crucified under the charge of being "King of the Jews" (John 19:16-22).

The soldiers cast lots for His garments (John 19:23-24).

Friday 12:00 noon - 3:00 p.m. - Jesus continues to suffer on the cross. His mother, other women followers, and one male disciple (usually identified as John) remain with Him. Jesus commends His mother into the disciple's care (John 19:25-29).

Friday 3:00 p.m. - Death: Jesus says, "It is finished" and expires. The soldiers do not even bother to break His legs, but one pierces His side with a spear (John 19:30-37).

Friday before sunset - Burial: With the Sabbath approaching, Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemus make arrangements for a quick but respectful burial in a nearby rock tomb (John 19:38-42)

Fourth Sunday after Trinity- Romans 8: 18-23

Both the Epistle and the Gospel for Trinity 4 are important passages. The Gospel for this Sunday from St. Luke 6:36- 42 is the significant selection on judgment or judging. Although it does not prohibit every form of judgment, it does warn against poor or unmerciful judgments rooted in self-righteousness and hypocrisy. (For further comment on this text, see posts from other years.)

This time, my focus is on the Epistle from Romans 8:18-23. Here the Apostle Paul encourages believers in the face of suffering. We should note Paul's Christian realism. He uses words like suffering, groaning, travail, and pain to speak of some of the earthly realities of a fallen creation. Yet, such harsh realities are not the whole human condition. Through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, hope for glory remains. Believers already have some of the first fruits of the Spirit, and in faith and hope, we await final redemption. God's grace, truth, love, and mercy will eventually triumph!

Easter- Resurrection Faith- John 20: 1-10

The Paschal Feast, the Feast of the Resurrection, or Easter is the high point of the biblical message and of the church year. The one who accepted terrible physical and spiritual suffering to save us from sin has risen from the dead to offer us new life, in this world and the next. Easter is the great dividing point in human history. The Resurrection is, among other things, the seal of divine approval upon the earthly life, ministry, and death of Jesus. It is the key event that transforms a band of disheartened and defeated disciples into faithful witnesses and ministers of the Good News. The whole New Testament is written from the standpoint of faith in the risen Lord Jesus Christ. The apostolic writings are also written to inspire and strengthen that same Resurrection faith in others. 

In the traditional Books of Common Prayer, the first Easter Gospel from St. John 20. 1-10 refers to the importance of faith. The initial reaction of the women at the empty tomb and of the apostles who hear the women's report is not faith but fear and curiosity. When the apostles hear the first reports, Simon Peter and the other disciple (traditionally identified as John) run to see for themselves. Peter goes in first to see the grave clothes. Then that other disciple enters, "and he saw and believed" (St. John 20:8). The empty tomb is a real and important event. But acknowledging the empty tomb is only a first step. This first step must be followed by the second step shown by John; that is, the empty tomb demands the response of belief or faith. 

So on this Easter, may divine grace renew our faith. Let us accept with faith what the empty tomb tells us about Jesus. He is unique. He is not merely someone who has recovered from physical death. He has experienced Resurrection; He has conquered death. He has overcome the forces of evil, destruction, and death for all time, for all who truly believe in Him. He is the Word of God incarnate, the Messianic King, God the Son. By overcoming death, He has (in the words of the collect) "opened unto us the gate of everlasting life." Christ lives, and because He lives, we also may truly live in union with Him. Alleluia. The Lord is risen indeed; O come, let us adore him. Alleluia.