Friday
04/14/17 Freeville UMC - Good Friday
Sermon Title: “Why would he die for me?”
Old Testament
Scripture: Isaiah 52:13-53:12
New Testament
Scripture: Hebrews 10:16-25
Gospel Lesson:
John 18:1-19:42
My
friends, my sisters and brothers, welcome once again to this Good Friday
worship service. As we are meeting tonight, so are millions upon millions of
our sisters and brothers all over the world. Christians in Latin America, the
Caribbean, Africa, Europe, Australia, Asia, the Middle East, and here in North
America, gather tonight in worship. As they gather, and as we gather, we done
so on Good Friday for centuries. This day in the life of the United Methodist Church,
and most churches is incredibly significant. So why have we gathered on this
Friday for centuries?
Here
is a little explanation that I found about today, “Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating
the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. It is observed
during Holy Week as part of
the Paschal Triduum on the
Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide
with the Jewish observance of Passover. It is also known
as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Black Friday, or Easter Friday, though the last term properly refers to the Friday in Easter week (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday).
So in general, the central or core reason that we have gathered
here together tonight, and that most Christian Churches are and have gathered
for centuries, is to remember, reflect upon, and to commemorate the brutal
torture and death of Jesus Christ.
Many churches for centuries have included readings from the
Old Testament or the Jewish Hebrew bible in these times of worship, as to
connect the prophetic claims of the Messiah, or savior, which is Jesus Christ.
In our reading for this evening from the Prophet Isaiah, we
hear much in the way of messianic prophecy. Isaiah writes of the Messiah, of
the savior, “He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering acquainted
with infirmity” (Isa. 53:3a, NRSV). Christians mostly today and historically,
has believed these prophetic claims from the prophet Isaiah to be written about
Jesus Christ.
Isaiah then says, “But he was wounded for our
transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that
made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed” (Isa. 53:5, NRSV). This
prophetic idea, that Jesus Christ, our savior, God in the flesh, through an act
of amazing love and grace, would die to reconcile us to the living God. Not
only this, that Jesus would suffer in unimaginable ways, so that we would truly
understand this love, this mercy, and this sacrifice. Understand it so well in fact,
that we are all here on this night remembering, reflecting, commemorating,
nearly two-thousand years later.
The prophet Isaiah also writes, “He was oppressed, and he
was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he open his
mouth” (Isa. 5:33:7, NRSV).
Isaiah then writes in 53:8, “By a perversion of justice he
was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the
land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people” (Isa. 53:8,
NRSV). By this time of the night, on that first Good Friday, Jesus had already died,
and was entombed, until Sunday morning.
As we remember, Jesus was crucified this day with two
convicted criminals. The prophet Isaiah writes, “They made his grave with the
wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there
was no deceit in his mouth (Isa. 53:9, NRSV). Jesus was crucified this day with
two criminals, considered wicked, and was then entombed in the tomb of a rich
man, named Joseph of Arimathea.
Let me then read the
last part of the prophet Isaiah’s reading that we are given for tonight. This
is what it says, “he poured himself to death, and was numbered with the
transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors
(Isa. 53:12b, NRSV).
In looking at our reading from the prophet Isaiah for
tonight, the prophet Isaiah prophetically speaks of the savior who will come
and innocently be condemned and killed, but at the same time having great love
for us all.
In our reading from the Apostle Paul’s Epistle, or letter
to the Hebrews, Paul quotes the prophet Jeremiah, and says, “This is the
covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put
laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds,” he also adds, “I
will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more”. Where there is
forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin” (Heb. 10:16-18,
NRSV).
The Apostle Paul is making the claim that like the Jews
sacrificed a pure and spotless lamb to ward off the angel of death on the first
Jewish Passover, that Jesus, the messiah, is new Passover Lamb, will take away
the sins of the world. The Apostle Paul then talks about forgiveness through “the
blood of Jesus,” and having faith and confidence in Jesus Christ. (Heb. 10:19b-25,
NRSV).
So on this day, we have the torture and brutal murder of
Jesus Christ. Many people really struggle with this day, in the sense of what
happened to Jesus. This notion that a brutal death equates the forgiveness of
human sin. Due to this, the question that I was pondering as I was preparing
for this sermon, was “Why did he die for me?”
You
see Jesus could have chosen to die a quick and easy death, yet he chose this
long, dragged out, and painful death. Jesus could have told the Roman Governor Pontius
Pilate and King Herod at any point that he was not who he said he was. Yet “He
chose the nails,” as the Max Lucado book is called. Why would God in the flesh
do this? To me, the events of this day are an act of love and sacrifice that I
will never fully be able to comprehend on this side of heaven. Love so amazing
and great, that Jesus would go to any length to show us what we mean to him.
One
of the great hallmarks of Wesleyan or Methodist Christianity, historically
speaking, has been our major emphasis on God’s grace. You see we have never
really been “fire and brimstone” people. I don’t think of this day in the sense
of how wretched we are then, but I tend to think of this day as the abundant
grace and mercy of Jesus Christ shining forth in a new and a powerful way. That
on this day, Jesus is giving us exactly what we don’t deserve, unbelievable
love, forgiveness, and mercy. Love and forgiveness that, as I said, I will
never fully comprehend on this side of heaven.
We then on this night, read the full trial,
torture, and crucifixion narrative of Jesus Christ. Throughout the whole
process, Jesus showed love, grace, and mercy (Jn. 18:1-19:42, NRSV). As Jesus
was being crucified he considered his torturers, and prayed for them. He
offered hope and salvation to a criminal on a cross next to him. He regarded
his mother, and asked the beloved disciples John to look after her.
Everything
prophesized occurred, casting lots for Christ’s clothing, not one of his bones was
broken. In his great humanness, Jesus Christ then quotes Psalm 22:1, as he says
in Matthew 27:46, “My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me” (Mt. 27:46, NRSV). In saying this, Jesus shows us his humanness,
along with his divinity. Jesus then breathes his last, gives up his spirit, and
then is entombed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. This was a tomb of a rich
man.
All of this, this forgiveness, love I cannot fully
comprehend, and while I accept it, and believe it, I still sometime ask, “Why
would he die for me?” Friends today isn’t just about the removal of the sins of
the world, it is also about how that changes us. How are we changed when we
know that we are this loved, and this forgiven? It’s powerful and abundant.
In attempting to pull this all together, I want bring this
sermon to a close with a story that I have shared before, but this version is a
little different. This story is called “Whoever takes the son gets it all”.
Here is how it goes:
“Years
ago, there was a very wealthy man who, with his devoted young son, shared a
passion for art collecting. Together they traveled around the world, adding
only the finest art treasures to their collection. Priceless works by Picasso,
Van Gogh, Monet and many others adorned the walls of the family estate. The
widowed, elder man looked on with satisfaction as his only child became an
experienced art collector. The son’s trained eye and sharp business mind caused
his father to beam with pride as they dealt with art collectors around the
world.”
“As
winter approached, war engulfed the nation, and the young man left to serve his
country. After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram. His
beloved son was missing in action. The art collector anxiously awaited more
news, fearing he would never see his son again. Within days, his fears were
confirmed. The young man had died while rushing a fellow soldier to a medic.”
“Distraught
and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming Christmas holidays with anguish and
sadness. The joy of the season, a season that he and his son had so looked
forward to, would visit his house no longer. On Christmas morning, a knock on
the door awakened the depressed old man. As he walked to the door, the
masterpieces of art on the walls only reminded him that his son was not coming
home.”
“As
he opened the door, he was greeted by a soldier with a large package in his
hand. He introduced himself to the man by saying, "I was a friend of your
son. I was the one he was rescuing when he died. May I come in for a few
moments? I have something to show you." As the two began to talk, the
soldier told of how the man’s son had told everyone of his, not to mention his
father’s, love of fine art. "I’m an artist," said the soldier,
"and I want to give you this." As the old man unwrapped the package,
the paper gave way to reveal a portrait of the son.”
“Though
the world would never consider it the work of a genius, the painting featured
the young man’s face in striking detail. Overcome with emotion, the man thanked
the soldier, promising to hang the picture over the fireplace. A few hours
later, after the soldier had departed, the old man set about his task”.
“True
to his word, the painting went well above the fireplace, pushing aside
thousands of dollars of paintings. And then the man sat in his chair and spent
Christmas gazing at the gift he had been given. During the days and weeks that
followed, the man realized that even though his son was no longer with him, the
boy’s life would live on because of those he had touched. He would soon learn that
his son had rescued dozens of wounded soldiers before a bullet stilled his
caring heart.”
“As
the stories of his son’s gallantry continued to reach him, fatherly pride and
satisfaction began to ease the grief. The painting of his son soon became his
most prized possession, far eclipsing any interest in the pieces for which
museums around the world clamored. He told his neighbors it was the greatest
gift he had ever received”.
“The
following spring, the old man became ill and passed away. The art world was in
anticipation!”
“Unmindful
of the story of the man’s only son, but in his honor, those paintings would be
sold at an auction. According to the will of the old man, all of the art works
would be auctioned on Christmas day, the day he had received his greatest gift.
The day soon arrived and art collectors from around the world gathered to bid
on some of the world’s most spectacular paintings. Dreams would be fulfilled
this day; greatness would be achieved as many claim "I have the greatest
collection." The auction began with a painting that was not on any
museum’s list. It was the painting of the man’s son. The auctioneer asked for
an opening bid. The room was silent.”
"Who will open the bidding with
$100?" he asked. Minutes passed. No one spoke. From the back of the room
came, "Who cares about that painting? It’s just a picture of his son.
Let’s forget it and go on to the good stuff."
“More
voices echoed in agreement. "No, we have to sell this one first,"
replied the auctioneer. "Now, who will take the son?" Finally, a
friend of the old man spoke, "Will you take ten dollars for the painting?
That’s all I have. I knew the boy, so I’d like to have it."
"I have ten dollars. Will
anyone go higher?" called the auctioneer. After more silence, the
auctioneer said, "Going once, going twice. Gone." The gavel fell,
cheers filled the room and someone exclaimed, "Now we can get on with it
and we can bid on these treasures!"
“The
auctioneer looked at the audience and announced the auction was over. Stunned
disbelief quieted the room. Someone spoke up and asked, "What do you mean
it’s over? We didn’t come here for a picture of some old guy’s son. What about
all of these paintings? There are millions of dollars of art here! I demand
that you explain what’s going on here!" The auctioneer replied, "It’s
very simple. According to the will of the father, whoever takes the son…gets it
all" (http://www.tonycooke.org/stories-and-illustrations/son_getsitall/).
Friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, the events of this day
are part of the greatest story ever told. A story of love, healing, mercy,
redemption, and justice. A story that if we let it, can change us from the
inside out. Through Jesus Christ, we are offered love, forgiveness, and mercy
that we can never fully imagine on this side of heaven.
So on this Good Friday, will you receive the Son? Will you receive
forgiveness, love, and mercy? Friends, I believe that if we do this, we have received
everything that God has. We receive mercy, grace, love, forgiveness, and are thereby
empowered to share this with a broken and hurting work. May we share the gift
of Jesus Christ’s great love this night and always.
Happy Good Friday, and God’s abundant blessings to you and
your family. Amen.
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