Grief to Desperation

It was early morning.  It was dark.  This is how the Gospel writer John opens the journey to the tomb by a woman named Mary, Mary Magdalene, or better said, Mary from the town of Magdala.  Mary was a woman who demons had possessed.  Seven of them, to be exact.  She was swept clean of those demons by the man from Galilee, Jesus of the town of Nazareth.  By the words of Jesus, Mary’s life and her destiny were changed from misery to joy. Rather than stay in the town of Magdala, Mary traveled along with Jesus, providing support and help in Jesus’ ministry.

Mary was with Jesus just days ago when he was beaten, crucified, and died upon the cross.  She watched over Jesus until his body was placed and sealed in a garden tomb.  When sundown came on that day Jesus died, she left his tomb to stay with others as the Sabbath had come.  Mary rested, if you can call it rest, because her mind could not turn off the horror of Jesus nailed to the cross.  Mary could not stop seeing the image of his lifeless body being carried into the tomb, and sealed from view by a stone and guarded by a detachment of soldiers.  The raw grief Mary experienced would not allow her to rest, and because it was the Sabbath, the religious authorities would not allow her to travel from her residence to be near Jesus at the tomb.  So, Mary waited in agony and grief.  The minutes passed.  Slowly, those minutes became hours.  Finally, the Sabbath was over when the sun went down the next day.  Still, Mary had to wait until there was barely enough light to retrace her steps back to Jesus’ tomb.

The Apostle John described Mary’s return to the tomb.  Other women likely accompanied Mary.  But throughout John’s account of Jesus’ life, John preferred to share the story through the point of view of just one person.  John wrote, “1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance” (John 20:1). At seeing the stone removed from the tomb’s entrance, Mary’s grief of these past days was now coupled with desperation. All Mary could imagine was that Jesus' body had been removed from the tomb.  Grave robbers, religious authorities, or the Romans had taken her beloved Lord’s body from its grave.  Mary’s grief was now overwhelmed by panic.  John wrote, “2 So she [Mary] came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!’” (John 20:2).

Mary was overcome by chaos.  She no longer felt happiness.  There was nothing to look forward to.  John described Mary’s circumstances by relating them to the time of day she traveled to the tomb.  John wrote that Mary went to the tomb when it was “dark.”  In theological terms, "dark" in the Bible means spiritual blindness or a lack of understanding.  Grief was shouting darkly into Mary’s mind, telling her that her life was once again chaotic, lacking happiness, and without a future.  Mary could not hear Jesus’ words of light and life, “1 Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:1-3).

An open tomb meant only one thing – Jesus’ body was gone, and there was no telling where his body could be now.  Grief at the loss of Jesus’ life and now at the loss of his body exploded within Mary.  This was a terrible moment in Mary’s preparation for the joy of the resurrection. And that transformation from grief to joy would all take place in a single word.

Disbelief to Confusion

            Mary gave the news to Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved.  “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” (John 20:2).  Jesus’ disciples knew Mary; they knew her story of being possessed and having been cleansed by Jesus, and her devotion to Jesus.  But in the moment, all they could see was a tired, overwrought woman, consumed with grief, not a person who could be relied upon to get the facts right.  They thought Mary was mistaken.

            John wrote that Jesus’ apostles, Peter and John, ran to Jesus’ tomb with John arriving first and observing from outside the tomb that linen strips used to wrap Jesus’ body were in the tomb.  Peter then arrived and went into the tomb, saw those linens and the cloth that had been over Jesus’ face.  The apostles' disbelief at Mary’s report gave way to confusion. Had Jesus’ body been stolen or moved elsewhere?  It did not make sense.  Anyone moving a body would not have unwrapped a dead body.  If anything, they would have wrapped more material around Jesus’ already-covered body.  Jesus’ body was indeed no longer in the tomb.

The Gospel of John said that John saw and believed.  But what did John believe? We are not told.  Did John believe Jesus rose from the dead?  It does not seem likely, as John’s gospel added, John believed, but “9 They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead” (John 20:9).  Did John believe Jesus’ body was gone? Oh, yes, he did. At that, Peter and John went back to where they were staying.

Although not mentioned in this account, it appears that Mary had followed Peter and John to the tomb.  Mary saw John and Peter enter the tomb.  The apostles' response confirmed Mary’s fears: Jesus' body was gone.  The only thing Mary looked forward to doing was caring for Jesus’ body, and that dream was now gone, too. Mary’s life felt very hollow.  But the hollowness Mary felt in her life would soon be filled and overflowing with joy by one word. 

Weeping to Despair

As we return to the story, the point of view remains on Mary. John, our gospel writer, intended for us to see and feel Mary’s experience of grief, desperation, confusion, and now total despair.  John wrote, “11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.  13 They asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying?’  ‘They have taken my Lord away,’ she said, ‘and I don’t know where they have put him’” (John 20:11-13).  Mary, consumed with grief and confusion, encountered two angels within Jesus’ tomb.  We experience two reactions from Mary.

The first reaction is that Mary was calm and expressed no fear at encountering the angels.  Throughout the gospels, whenever someone encountered an angel, the angel began their conversation with “Fear not,” because the people in the angel's presence were terrified and deeply disturbed.  Mary expressed no fear of seeing the angels.  Why was that?  Mary did not show fear because, for her, the worst possible thing had already happened. Jesus had been killed, and his body was missing.  Mary’s lack of fear gives us insight into the depth of her grief.  For Mary, to die now would be preferred to living.

The second reaction of Mary we experienced was a consuming chaos within her mind.  She had encountered two beings, which she rightly identified as angels, and she made no effort to seek God’s wisdom from them.  Despite the presence of angels, Mary could not feel God’s presence.

Our gospel writer, John, was painting a very specific picture for his readers.  It was a picture of hell.  Not hell of Dante’s Inferno.  It is, however, hell.  Mary was grieving deeply at her separation from Jesus, God in the flesh.  In her separation, Mary ran from one place to the next, saying she was separated from God.  But that brought her no comfort.  Mary was experiencing chaos and despair.  In her existence without any semblance of God, Mary was weeping and gnashing her teeth.  She could not recall anything comforting God ever said.  Even in the presence of messengers from God, she could only describe her condition and could not ask for encouragement from God.  Mary was in hell, a total separation from God.  This was the picture John painted.

What Mary did not know was that her release from hell would be soon. The key to freeing her was only one word away.

Despair to Rejoicing with One Word

            Mary was bent down near the ground, looking into Jesus’ tomb, empty except for his grave clothes and two angelic visitors dressed in brilliant white clothing.  Mary was experiencing hell, a separation from God with all the emotions that hell brings: chaos, hopelessness, weeping, gnashing of teeth, confusion, despair, darkness, and loneliness.  Mary had experienced hell before when seven demons possessed her, and she was experiencing it yet again.  Only this time, she no longer held out belief that someone might save her from it.

            Then she felt as though there was someone behind her, near to her.  “14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.  15 He asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’  Thinking he was the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.’  16 Jesus said to her, ‘Mary’ (John 20:14-16a). When the woman from Magdala heard her name come from the lips of her risen Savior, all the emotions of chaos, hopelessness, weeping, gnashing of teeth, confusion, despair, darkness, and loneliness, yes hell, were cast from her, and she was filled with an overwhelming joy.  “She turned toward Jesus and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (John 20:16b). With one word from Jesus, “Mary,” the woman from Magdala, Mary, once possessed, and twice in hell on earth, was made free.  Mary’s life would never again approach hell.  The power of the joy in having been called by name by the man who embodied life and the resurrection was too strong for any other force to overcome.  The power of death, the gates of hell, and the forces of evil were no match for the uncontainable trust and faith Mary had in God through Jesus Christ.

            Now filled with inexpressible joy, Jesus commissioned Mary to be the first evangelist of the resurrection.  Jesus said to Mary, “Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’  18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’ And she told them that he had said these things to her” (John 20:17b-18).  Mary had joy and a divine purpose for her life.  She would never taste hell again.

            The story of Jesus’ resurrection, as presented by the Apostle John from Mary's point of view, is a story for each of us.  Mary showed us that life separated from God is one that leads to hell, a state of chaos, hopelessness, weeping, gnashing of teeth, confusion, despair, darkness, and loneliness.  Some who are separated from God in this life will experience hell twice.  Once in this life and eternally after death.  All who are separated from God will experience hell eternally after death.  But life now and eternally need not be that way.  Jesus came, lived, and died upon the cross so that we would never taste hell. The resurrection of Jesus that we celebrate today demonstrated the power of God to save us from hell, not once but twice.  This is the good news of Jesus Christ. 

And the good news is that the transformation from hell to joy, purpose, and life can be expressed in a single word, a word you and I know well. That one word for the woman from Magdala was her name, “Mary.”  When Jesus called her by her name, hell was broken for Mary.  The same is true for you and me.  When Jesus speaks to us, he will do so with but one word.  He will call you by your name, so that in that calling, you and I may be with him. 

I have heard Jesus call me by name, and I have answered him. Hell is no longer a concern for me, either on earth or eternally, because I know my place is with God. 

Many of you have heard Jesus call your name, and you have answered him.  Hell is no longer a concern for you either because you have the joy of the Lord. 

Some of you have heard Jesus call your name; you have answered him, but you are still holding on to the past pains of this world and denying yourself the full joy of the Lord.  This is resurrection Sunday.  Jesus has risen.  The tomb is empty.  Fill that tomb with the things of your past that keep you from having the fullness of the joy of the Lord.

A few of you have heard Jesus call you by name, but you have not answered him.  You are still looking into the empty tomb, wondering what it all means.  You are wondering whether Jesus was truly resurrected or if Jesus’ resurrection is just a myth.  The longer you wait, pondering, the more likely you are to do nothing to accept the truth about Jesus, and the closer you come to tasting hell.  Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25b-26).  This day, know that Jesus has called you by name, and asks that you believe in Him that you too may be saved.  You can trust the words of a man who died for you.

This is Resurrection Day.  Let us rejoice for the power of death, the gates of hell, and forces of evil have been defeated once, for all, for you and for me, by a single word, as it was for a woman from Magdala, as Jesus said to her that morning 2,000 years ago, “Mary.”  Amen and Amen.

            Every day, we speak a great many words.  It is remarkable just how many words we will say in our lifetime.  Studies suggest that in our lifetime we will speak somewhere between 100 and 150 million words.  Statistically, women will speak about 20% more words than men.  I’m just reporting the facts here.  Most words we speak have no lasting meaning.  Likely, none of the words any of us speak will be preserved for history.

            By contrast, the four gospels of the New Testament record some of Jesus’ words for us.  By one count, the Bible contains 31,426 words spoken by Jesus.  Many times, I find myself wishing the gospel writers had recorded more of what Jesus said.

Jesus' words are considered uniquely important because we believe them to be the authoritative, divine revelation of God in the flesh, offering eternal life and serving as the ultimate standard for truth, morality, and final judgment. Jesus’ words are regarded as living, powerful, and enduring, providing foundational principles for Christian life and shaping human history, values, and thought.  Many Bibles print Jesus’ words in red to make them easily identifiable and to highlight their importance.  The red ink symbolizes the blood of Christ, linking his words to his sacrifice.

            Some of the most loved words Jesus ever spoke were:

• “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  (Matthew 7:12)
• “Love your neighbors as yourself.”  (Mark 12:31)
• “With God, all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)
• “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

I am sure you could easily add to the list of Jesus' loved words.

            While these are among the most loved words of Jesus, they may not be the most important.  For those words, we would have to include:

• "I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6).
• "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10)
• “Repent and believe in the good news.” Mark 1:15
• "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me" (John 14:1).

Again, I am sure you could easily add to the list of Jesus’ powerful words.

            But among the most powerful words must be those translated in English as “I am He.”  We heard that phrase uttered by Jesus in our Scripture reading today.  From the Gospel of John, we read this account in the Garden of Gethsemane.  “1 When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side, there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it.  2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns, and weapons.  4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’ 5 ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied.  ‘I am he,’ Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, ‘I am he,’ they drew back and fell to the ground” (John 18:1-6).

            Of the words Jesus had spoken up to this time, none had a greater physical impact on more people than “I am he.”  Jesus spoke words, and an individual was healed.  Those words had a great physical impact on the person healed.  Jesus spoke, and people were fed, but the impact on them was to look to Jesus for the next meal.  Jesus spoke, and insight was given.  But never had Jesus spoken words, and men, trained warriors, armed for battle, recoiled as a group and fell to the ground.  “I am he.”  In Greek, these words translate to “egō eimi,” (ago ahme) or most simply, “I am.”

            Jesus’ pursuers were overcome and debilitated by Jesus words.  They became confused and weakened, falling to the ground.  John, the narrator of the story, does not say why these troops acted in this manner.  It seems, therefore, likely that John’s readers did not need an explanation for the troops’ reaction.  John’s readers would have understood without being told.

            We might ask, “Why do people recoil and shrink away after Jesus said, ‘I am he’?”  People spontaneously recoil when they encounter something or hear something exceptionally unexpected.  In this case, what was said was shocking, creating an instinctive emotional reaction among the troops who instantly wanted to shrink away from Jesus and get smaller by falling to the ground.  Jesus’ words seemed dangerous, almost a warning that an unbeatable warrior stood before them.  And so they recoiled, fell to the ground, in a submissive posture before a much superior combatant.  What was it about Jesus’ words that shocked those who had come to arrest him?

            Again, if we wish to understand Jesus’ words of the Gospel and their significance to the people who first heard them, we must go to the Old Testament for insight.  The term “I am he,” or “egō eimi,” is found in the Hebrew scriptures.  And when we consider the person of Jesus, we turn most often to the prophecies and words of Isaiah.

            Isaiah Chapter 41 opens with a question as to who is sovereign over all the people.  The answer in verse 4 is, “I, the Lord, with the first of them and with the last—I am he.” (Isaiah 41:4b)  “I am he” means the Lord himself is over all people.

            Isaiah Chapter 43 reads, “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me” (Isaiah 43:10).  “I am he,” signifies that there are none before me and there shall be none after me.

Still further in the same chapter of Isaiah 43, we would read, “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more” (Isaiah 43:25).  The Lord speaks, “I am he,” who can forgive sins.  The Jewish people understood well that only God could forgive sin.

            To hear Jesus say, “I am he,” “egō eimi,” was as if the troops heard the voice of God.  The inherent response of sinful people in the presence of a holy God is to shrink and fall.  In God’s holy presence, Isaiah fell trembling, believing he was doomed. Peter fell when he first met Jesus and begged Jesus to depart from him, a sinner.  Moses veiled his face before God.  The disciples fell facedown when Jesus was transfigured, and they beheld his holiness.  The natural response of a sinner being in the presence of holiness is to shrink back and fall.

            The troops in the garden of Gethsemane recoiled and fell, as sinners who had heard the voice of God. The reaction of the troops who had come to arrest Jesus was so severe that Jesus needed to prompt them into activity and completion of their plan, his plan, by asking them a question.  “7 Again he asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’ ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they said.  8 Jesus answered, ‘I told you that I am he” (John 18:7-8b).  Jesus’ prompting of the troops was sufficient to help them regain their composure.

            After a brief scuffle with one of Jesus’ disciples, “12 The detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him 13 and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people” (John 18:12-14).  The troops had overcome their instinctive shock at hearing Jesus say, “I am he,” and their training and discipline to follow orders kicked in.  They arrested and bound Jesus so that he could stand trial.

At that, we must pause for a moment and consider the picture. Jesus, the Son of God, the “I am” of the Hebrew Scriptures, was arrested by sinful men, who had at first recoiled and fallen from him.  Sinful men had bound the hands of Jesus, a holy man.  A Holy God was bound by sinful men.  This situation appeared so upside down.  It was a paradox, a situation that seems self-contradictory, absurd, or illogical, yet may contain a deeper truth or reveal flaws in human reasoning.  The religious authorities, with their detachment of troops, thought that they had the power and would now be in control of Jesus’ destiny.  They acted as though arresting Jesus and putting him on trial was doing God’s will to rout out a traitor.  What they did not realize was that they were doing God’s will, but not to rout out a traitor.  They were never in control, even though they were unwittingly part of God’s plan to redeem humanity.

It is the paradox of this scene that reveals the deepest truth about redemption and faith itself.  The Apostle Paul recognized the paradox and said of it, “18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).  Said most simply, “The idea that Jesus, “I am he,” would allow himself to be bound and then kill by sinful men is ridiculous to those who do not believe.  But to those who have believed in Jesus, it makes sense that God would use his power to save those who have faith.”

Paul said, “19 For it is written: ‘I [I am he] will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’ 20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1 Corinthians 1:19-24).  God would invert the wisdom of humanity and use a paradox to draw out the perfection of salvation in the completed work of Jesus, bound and crucified.

In Jesus' saying, “I am He,” to his betrayer and tormentors, Jesus was clarifying all the other times He said to His disciples, “egō eimi.” Jesus said:

• "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35, 48, 51): Jesus sustains spiritual life just as bread sustains physical life.
• "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12): Jesus provides guidance and truth in a world of darkness.
• "I am the door/gate of the sheep" (John 10:7, 9): Jesus is the only way to safety, protection, and salvation.
• "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11, 14): Jesus sacrificially cares for, protects, and knows his followers.
• "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25): Jesus offers eternal life and overcomes death.
• "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6): Jesus is the only access to God the Father.
• "I am the true vine" (John 15:1, 5): Jesus is the source of spiritual life; believers must abide in him to bear fruit.

Jesus likely spoke millions of words.  We have about 30,000 of them.  But three words revealed everything about him and they are three words that change lives.  Jesus said, “I am He.”  The writer of our opening song said it well that for you and me, Jesus is the “I am He.” “I am He, He said. It is I you seek. I'm the one you want.  I am He. You have found me now.  I am the one.  You have come for me. I am He.”  Jesus is the answer to the desires of our hearts.

You and I are like the soldiers who came to arrest Jesus.  We are sinners who stand in the presence of the holiness of God.  We both shrink and fall in the presence of holiness.  And when Jesus speaks, we will either rise and seek to bind him, control him, and lead him away, so that he is no longer part of our lives.  This is the path of the unbeliever.  Or, we will rise and seek to follow Jesus, so that we are never apart from His life.  Jesus leaves us to make the choice.  Who will you be to Jesus as he says to you, “I am He.”  Amen and Amen.

            The Broadway musical Jekyll and Hyde features a song by the character Dr. Henry Jekyll called “This Is the Moment.”  It is a song that speaks of the pivotal moment in Dr. Jekyll’s life, where he believes the sum of all he has ever worked on will be shown.  He sings, in part, “This is the moment.  This is the time when the momentum and the moment are in rhyme!  Give me this moment.  This precious chance!  I'll gather up my past.  And make some sense at last!”  It is the moment for which Dr. Jekyll believed he was born.

            Perhaps you have experienced such a moment in your life.  It was that moment in which the trajectory of your life was set, and everything you would do from that point forward was to fulfill your life’s purpose. I have had such a moment, and I hope you have or will as well.  I will speak about that moment a bit later.

            For now, I would like us to consider that Jesus had a pivotal moment in his life.  He did not call a pivotal moment.  Instead, he called it by a single word.  That word was hora, ὥρα, ho'-rah, meaning a point in time, often translated into English as the word “hour.”

The idea of Jesus’ hour first emerges most clearly in the Gospel of John.  “1 On the third day, a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine.’  4 ‘Woman, why do you involve me?’ Jesus replied. ‘My hour has not yet come’” (John 2:1-4).  The precise meaning of "hour" is not fully clear here, but it appears Jesus was speaking of some future event that would reveal his identity and destiny.

            Later, John would reveal more about Jesus’ hour when he wrote, “25 At that point, some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, 'Isn’t this the man they [the religious leaders] are trying to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? 27 But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.’  28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, ‘Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.’  30 At this, they [the religious leaders] tried to seize him [Jesus], but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come” (John 7:25-30).  Here, we get the sense that the religious leaders laying their hands on Jesus would have something to do with Jesus’ hour.

            We come to the final example of the word "hour" in the Gospel of Mark.  Jesus was with his disciples, praying in the garden. Jesus came back to his sleeping disciples for a third time.  Mark wrote, “41 Returning the third time, he [Jesus] said to them [his disciples], ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!’” (Mark 14:41-42).  Now, we understand the defining moment, the hour, for Jesus was not his birth, not his baptism, not his miracles or teachings, or cleansing of the Temple. Jesus’ pivotal moment, his life and destiny, would be found in his being taken into the hands of his tormentors and killed.  Jesus’ death was his hour.

            The four Gospel writers came to recognize Jesus’ hour.  In their gospels, each one slowed down their accounts of Jesus’ activities. They no longer wrote about what happened in a day or a week of Jesus’ life.  Instead, they began writing about what happened minute by minute.  Nearly one of every eight verses of the gospels is devoted to describing Jesus’ hour.  Nearly 500 verses describe Jesus’ arrest, trials, crucifixion, and resurrection. When it comes to the New Testament letters of Paul and Peter, the references to Jesus’ death and resurrection exploded with dozens and dozens of statements.  Here are just a few verses from the New Testament letters:

• Romans 5:8–10: "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us… We were reconciled to God through the death of his Son."
• 1 Corinthians 15:3–4: "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures… he was buried… he was raised on the third day.”
• Philippians 2:8: "He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross."
• Hebrews 10:10: "We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

The hour has come meant it was time for Jesus to give of his life. The hour has come meant that Jesus’ life purpose had reached its “This is the moment” event.  When we realize what the words, “The hour has come,” meant, we realize as well that it is the very moment that most men and women dread to contemplate about themselves.  Jesus’ hour meant Jesus’ death.  We don’t like to contemplate our own death.  But the death of Jesus was the moment upon which everything would come to depend.  It would be, as the songwriter said, that time in which the past would be gathered up and make sense.

            Why did Jesus' hour, his purpose, involve his death?  Again, if we want to understand Jesus of the New Testament, we must go to the Old Testament prophesies of the Messiah.  We spoke about some of these passages last week, with those from Isaiah 53 being the clearest on this point.

• Isaiah 53:4–6: "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows... he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed... the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
• Isaiah 53:7–9: "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter... he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people... although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth."
• Isaiah 53:10–12: "Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him... when his soul makes an offering for guilt... he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors."

            What then happened in this hour, and what was its significance?  First, we learn in unmistakable terms who Jesus was.  In preparation for this hour, the Chief Priest asks Jesus, “‘Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?’  62 ‘I am,’ said Jesus” (Mark 14:61b-62a). The hour had come for Jesus to speak plainly about his identity.  Second, we learn from the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, that Jesus was a king, but not of this world.  Third, to fulfill scripture, Jesus had to be delivered into the hands of sinners.  Fourth, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46-47).

            Understanding Jesus’ identity and purpose brings clarity to the encounters Jesus had in his ministry. We come to understand that Jesus presented the defining moment of people’s lives.  Let’s look at two examples of men who shared striking similarities and stark differences and see how they handled their pivotal moment in the presence of Jesus.  One man was named Zacchaeus.  We do not know the other man’s name.  Both men were very wealthy and had no physical needs.  Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector and, by his own admission, cheated people.  The other man said he followed the Ten Commandments when dealing with people. Both men sought out an opportunity to be with Jesus.

            Let’s look at Zacchaeus first.  Luke shared Zacchaeus’ story with us.  “1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short, he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.  5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:1-10).

            The hour had come for Zacchaeus.  He had the opportunity to see the Lord and be saved.  In that moment, Zacchaeus gathered up his past and gave it all away to be with the Lord from this point in his life and forever.  In giving his life and his past, Zacchaeus received salvation.

            Now let’s look at the second man.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke provide a similar account of this second man.  We will use Mark’s account today.  Jesus was in Judea.  Mark wrote, “17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” 20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”  22 At this, the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.  23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:17-23).

            The hour had come for this rich man.  He had the opportunity to see the Lord and be saved.  In that moment, Jesus told the man to gather up the riches of his past and gave it all away to be with the Lord from that point on, forever.  But the man could not do as Jesus asked because he loved money and the good life more than he loved God and the eternal life. The hour had come for this rich man, and he walked away from it.

            “The hour has come.” Jesus’ words were the defining moment of his life, as he would yield his life for the sake of all who would call upon his name.  “The hour has come,” was the defining moment for Zacchaeus and the rich man.  They each choose different paths.  “The hour has come,” was the defining moment for my life as I came to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.  In accepting Christ, being baptized in his name, joining him in his death, burial, and resurrection, I can now fulfill my life’s purpose in bringing glory to God.  The trajectory of my life was forever changed.

“The hour has come,” applies to your life as well.  Each person here has been invited by Jesus to follow him.  If you have seen Jesus' invitation as the defining moment in your life and you have accepted him, then know salvation has come to you.  But if you are not sure you have recognized Jesus’ invitation as the hour that has come, do not be uncertain.  Know for sure which path you are on.  Make sure you have gathered up your past and given it over to Christ so that your future makes sense.  If you are uncertain, let’s talk.

            I want to close with a story of illustration.  One day, a man died.  He arrived at the gates of heaven.  An angel met him at the gates.  The angel said to the man, “Do you know that you are at the gates of heaven?”  The man said, “Yes.”  The angel asked, “Well, in life, did you give money to the poor?” The man said, “No.”  The angel asked, “Well, in life, did you live out the Ten Commandments?”  The man said, “No.”  The angel asked, “Well, in life, did you faithfully go to worship services?”  The man said, “No.”  The angel asked, “Well, then, friend, why do you think you can come to heaven?”  The man said, “The man on the middle cross said I could come.”

            The man on the middle cross said you can come because the hour had come for the man on the middle cross, Jesus.  It is Jesus who qualifies you and me to share in the inheritance of eternal life.  “The hour has come.”  Do not miss it.  Amen and Amen.

            I want to welcome you here today for a one-of-a-kind experience.  Today, we will experience something that has not happened before and will never happen again.  You might be saying, “Oh, what is about to happen?”  I say this moment is a unique experience that has never happened before and will never happen again because this group of people has never met in this place at this time to sing these hymns, offer these prayers, hear this passage of scripture, and hear this sermon.  This is a unique moment in history, and it will never be repeated.  Each one of us came here with whatever had happened in the past week, with whatever worries we had on our minds, whatever joys we were thinking about, whatever hopes we had, and that mixture of thought will not be repeated – ever.  Please take that truth in for a moment.  I want you to have that small sense of history that will not be repeated, because we are about to see a larger sense of history that will not be repeated.

            Now, you might be thinking, what you say, Pastor, is true, but we have been here many times before doing something similar.  That is true. But I want to invite us to think for a moment about unrepeated and unreplicated history.  Because our scripture today is all about an unprecedented moment in history, it involved 13 men, divided into groups of eight and three, and two men who stood alone and separate from one another.  The men knew each other very well.  They had just eaten a meal together and sung a hymn of praise to God.  It was for all but one man a time for contemplation and prayer.

            Mark, the gospel writer, wrote, “32 They [Jesus and eleven of his disciples] went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Sit here and pray” (Mark 14:32).  Jesus’ disciples here referred to the Twelve men He had called to be his apostles, his ambassadors.  The disciples Jesus spoke to in the moment were Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, and Simon. One man, Judas Iscariot, was missing from the group.  He had left after the meal and before the hymn.  Judas would thus stand alone and separate from all others.

For the disciples, Jesus had one request.  It was that they would pray.  What was said in prayer, we do not know.  Who led the prayers, we do not know.

            Mark said that Jesus then, “33 Took Peter, James, and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled” (Mark 14:33). We see here that Jesus had separated the disciples.  He left eight disciples to remain seated and pray.  He selected three of his inner circle of disciples, Peter, James, and John, to come with him.  Jesus left Andrew, the fourth of the inner disciples, to stay with the others and pray. Mark then said that Jesus began to be deeply distressed and troubled.

            Something had changed in Jesus’ demeanor.  Jesus had looked forward to the Passover meal with his disciples.  He had celebrated with them and shared his desire that they remember him through the bread and wine.  He had prayed for them and assured them that he loved them beyond measure. They had sung hymns and were engaged in prayer.  Jesus was wholly involved in a night of worship.  But now with three disciples from his inner circle, something had changed in Jesus’ demeanor.  Jesus appeared upset, fearful even.  Fear is never about the present; it is always about the future.  Did you know that?  We are only afraid of something that has not yet happened.  We do not fear history.  Something about what was coming made Jesus appear fearful: moreover, whatever was coming that made Jesus appear fearful also made his spirit, perhaps his voice and body posture, appear heavy-laden, as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders.  Jesus said to his three companions, ”34 ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ he said to them. ‘Stay here and keep watch’” (Mark 14:34).

            Jesus offered no further clues as to what was overwhelming him, and it does not appear that the disciples asked.  Soul here means Jesus’ innermost being, his heart, if you will, was troubled even unto death.  Sorrow, grief, was upon Jesus’ soul, like the experience of a loved one's death, such that dying yourself would be preferred to living without them.  Jesus had never shown such emotions as this before. Jesus asked his inner circle to stay alert and watch over Him.  For what to be alert to, Jesus did not say.

            Mark wrote, “35 Going a little farther, he [Jesus] fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 ‘Abba, Father,’ he said, ‘everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:35-36).  The scene here is troublesome for us to visualize.  Jesus, who always seems so confident and assured as the Son of God, now appeared physically weakened, falling to the ground, was overwhelmed with sorrow, and prayed as a child might to seek relief from their father.  In doing so, Jesus made a simple five-word prayer, “Take this cup from me.”

What do we make of this situation?  Many commentaries and many pastors have offered sermons that this scene shows Jesus’ human side as Jesus contemplated the physical assault that was coming upon him with the crucifixion.  They conclude that Jesus wanted the Father to find another way that did not require him to suffer the cross.  They conclude that since Jesus was crucified, the Father’s answer to the prayer “Take this cup from me” was “No.”  We will have to consider those thoughts in a moment.

            As the scene in the garden continued to unfold, Mark wrote, “37 Then he [Jesus] returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Simon,” he said to Peter, ‘are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:37-38).  We learn here two things.  First, Jesus’ simple prayer, “Take this cup from me,” was a prayer of one hour.  Did Jesus repeat those words again and again?  I do not think so.  Jesus had already cautioned his disciples not to pray, repeating the same thing until they were babbling.  I think Jesus prayed, “Take this cup from me,” and used his time in prayer to remain quietly within the Father’s will.  It would be time with the Father that would quell Jesus’ distress, not by repeating the same words.  Second, we learn that the inner group of three disciples had fallen asleep.  They did not stay alert and keep watch.  Jesus changed his instructions to them, telling them this time, “Watch and pray,” so that they would not be tempted by sleep.  

Having set his disciples on a new path, Mark said, “     39 Once more, he [Jesus] went away and prayed the same thing [“Take this cup from me”]. 40 When he [Jesus] came back, he again found them [the three disciples] sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.  For a second time, Jesus entered a period of prayer with the Father, “Take this cup from me.”  For a second time, Jesus lay in the quiet of the garden to receive the Father's comfort and reassurance.  For a second time, Jesus’ disciples succumbed to sleep.

Although unstated, Jesus returned to the quiet of the garden and prayed again, “Take this cup from me.”  For the third time, Jesus lay in the quiet of the Father’s comforting presence. Having spent time with the Father, Mark wrote, “41 Returning the third time, he [Jesus] said to them [the disciples], 'Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!’”  (Mark 14:41-42).  For a third time, the disciples were found asleep.

But one of the things we find is that Jesus no longer appeared sorrowful unto death.  Jesus no longer appeared overwhelmed with grief.  In fact, Jesus sounded extremely confident, saying, “Rise!  Let us go!  Here comes my betrayer!”  Jesus did not mean, “Let’s run away!”  Instead, with confidence, Jesus was saying, “Let’s go and greet my betrayer.”  A transformation had happened with that garden prayer, “Take this cup from me,” in which Jesus moved from sorrow unto death to confidence, moving toward his betrayer.  We must then choose which answer, “Yes” or “No”, is the more likely one to Jesus ' prayer, “Take this cup from me.”  What answer to Jesus’ prayer would account for this transformation: “No, I will not take the cup” or “Yes, I will take the cup”?  Would we be more encouraged by God if he says “No” or would we be more encouraged by God if he said, “Yes?”  And if Jesus were more encouraged by a “Yes” answer than a “No” answer, and he was still crucified and knew that was going to happen, then we would have to conclude the “cup” Jesus wanted removed from him was not the physical crucifixion.  If that was so, then what did Jesus mean when he prayed, “Take this cup from me”?

When we want to consider what Jesus said and why he said it, our go-to place must be the Hebrew Scriptures, our Old Testament.  Why is that?  Because Jesus said, “17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).  Jesus came to live out the Hebrew Scriptures in a perfect manner.  What, then, is the cup of the Hebrew scriptures that Jesus may have asked to pass from him?  We look to the prophet Isaiah, who wrote, “
17 Awake, awake!  Rise up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes people stagger” (Isaiah 51:17).  In this context, the cup was not the physical crucifixion; the cup was the wrath of God upon the sinner.  The crucifixion that Christ was about to face, as awful as it would be, was so much less than the wrath of God upon the sinner, especially the one who would take upon himself the sins of the world.  Physical pain would end with Jesus’ death, but God’s wrath could be eternal.  So, Jesus prayed, “ 36 ‘Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36). “Everything is possible for God. Take this cup [of wrath] from me [quickly], as I go forth confidently in your will.”  Take the cup from me.  Take the cup from me.

What was God’s answer to Jesus’ prayer?  Rather than “No” as many assume, believing Jesus was asking to avoid the cross, scripture better supports that God said, “Yes,” to having the cup of wrath pass from Jesus.  Where is the support for that beyond Jesus’ confidence after prayer?  Let’s consider the Hebrew scriptures again.

• Isaiah 51 says, “21 Therefore hear this, you afflicted one, made drunk, but not with wine.  22 This is what your Sovereign Lord says, your God, who defends his people:  “See, I have taken out of your hand, the cup that made you stagger; from that cup, the goblet of my wrath, you will never drink again.  23 I will put it into the hands of your tormentors, who said to you, ‘Fall prostrate that we may walk on you.’ And you made your back like the ground, like a street to be walked on.” (Isaiah 51:21-23).  God promised in the Old Testament to remove the cup of wrath from his faithful servant.
• Isaiah 53 says, “10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.  11 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied? (Isaiah 53:10-11a).  The will of the Lord was that he would suffer and then the suffering would be removed, and he would be restored to life.
• Psalm 22 says, “24 For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help” (Psalm 22:24).  God did not forsake Jesus’ prayer; God honored it.

What then do we make of Jesus’ scene in the garden, a scene that occurred only one time in history and will never happen again?  What we see is Jesus crying out in prayer that the cup of the wrath of God upon him, taking the sins of the world, would pass from him quickly.  That Jesus’ standing with God would be restored fully and completely, even though He was taking upon Himself the sins of the world.  God said, “Yes, I will take away the cup of my wrath, and I will give it to your tormentors.”  Even at that, Jesus, supremely the Savior, prayed to his Father for his tormentors, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

            What then do we take away from this scene?  I think there are two things.  First, when it comes to prayer, we are probably more like Jesus disciples than Jesus. When asked to pray, we do, but only for a little while; then we tire and sleep.  Our spirit may be willing, but our flesh is weak.  What is the remedy?  Jesus told his disciples, " Pray for strength against temptation. Temptation is our downfall. Temptation to sleep when we could be with God consumes many.  Temptation to miss being in worship for other activities of life abounds.  The temptation to sin outright is always with us. Jesus remedy for a life spent knowing God’s will begins “38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Honestly, now, how many of us pray for such strength?

            Secondly, Jesus prayed, “Take this cup from me,” and following the prophecies of the Old Testament, the cup of God’s wrath was removed.  But here is the thing.  Jesus held the cup of God’s wrath.  Not only that, but Jesus drank from the cup all the way to the dregs, the sediment in the bottom of the cup.  Because Jesus did so, you and I do not need to drink from the cup of God’s wrath. When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, it is because we have said to Jesus, “Take this cup from me.”  In that short, five-word prayer, Jesus repeats back the answer He received from His Father in response to that prayer, “Yes, I will take the cup from you.”  Have you prayed Jesus’ prayer?  You do not need to wait for another time in history to do that.  Make history today and pray, “Take this cup from me.”  Amen and Amen.

            In 1973, singer and actress Barbara Streisand released the song “The Way We Were.”  The song begins with the words, “Mem'ries, light the corners of my mind.  Misty water-colored mem'ries of the way we were.  Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind.  Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were.”  The song provides a poetic expression of how our memory works.  Memories are as if a light has been turned on in the corners of our minds, bringing to our consciousness a time from the past.  Misty, water-colored memories suggest that we paint a picture of the past less about what happened and more about how we want to relive it in the present. Scattered pictures from our memories are what we have of loved ones lost, difficult moments, celebrations, and joys.  The song speaks to how we think about memory in contemporary culture.  When we approach remembrance in the Bible, we must shift our thinking primarily to an ancient Hebrew mindset.  And much of Jesus’ last week of life in the flesh was focused on Hebrew remembrance, but none more so than when Jesus said these six words: “Do this in remembrance of Me.”

            Time for Jesus in the flesh was rapidly ending.  He had desired to celebrate the Passover meal with his disciples.  Jesus arranged for the group to congregate in Jerusalem, we are told, in the upper room of a home.  Jews on pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate were required to eat the meal within Jerusalem and its precincts.  At the Passover celebration, a lamb was sacrificed.  It was the only sacrificial offering of the ancient Jews in which the sacrifice was not performed by the Temple priests but was done by those celebrating the Passover meal.  What made the Passover sacrifice and celebration different?  It was this: God ordained that the Passover would be a permanent memorial.  It is in God’s command that we begin to understand remembrance from the Hebrew perspective.

            What was the Passover all about?  God sent Moses and his brother, Aaron, to Pharaoh of Egypt to demand that the Hebrew people be freed so they could worship the Lord God.  Pharaoh refused, and so God sent plagues upon Egypt to demonstrate his power over Pharaoh.  The ten plagues in order were:

1. Blood: The Nile River and all water in Egypt turned to blood, killing fish and making the water undrinkable.
2. Frogs: Frogs swarmed over the entire land, entering homes and beds.
3. Lice/Gnats: Lice or gnats plagued both people and animals. 
4. Flies: Swarms of flies covered Egypt, although the land of Goshen (where the Israelites lived) was spared.
5. Livestock Pestilence: A plague killed the Egyptians' domestic animals.
6. Boils: Festering boils broke out on the skin of the Egyptians and their animals.
7. Hail: A devastating storm of fire and ice (hail) destroyed crops, trees, and killed people/animals in the fields.
8. Locusts: Swarms of locusts consumed all remaining vegetation left by the hail.
9. Darkness: A thick, palpable darkness covered Egypt for three days, while the Israelites had light.
10. Death of the Firstborn: The final plague killed all firstborn sons and livestock in Egypt, leading to the Exodus of the Hebrew people from Egypt.

It was the tenth plague that brought about the Passover.  God told Moses to have all the Hebrew families sacrifice an unblemished lamb and put the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and lintels of their homes.  When God would go through the land of Egypt on this final plague, God would pass over the homes of those marked by the blood.  The family roasted and ate the sacrificed lamb with bitter herbs.  Then God said, “14 “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance…26 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians’”  (Exodus 12:14; 26-27). While this historical account provides the background of the Passover meal, it also reveals the Hebrew concept of remembrance.

            Remembrance is not a passive activity where you sit around the campfire and say, "Do you remember those plagues upon Egypt?"  Instead, Hebrew remembrance is an activity performed in the present to relive a past event; as generations pass, it becomes a time for new generations to experience that event for the first time.  The Hebrew concept of remembrance, found in scripture, is to recreate the event: its sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and words.  The intent is to bring into one’s mind the significance of the original moment and to appropriate the meaning behind it. 

What was the meaning behind the original Passover that God wanted the Hebrew people to remember?  It was to remember that God was both Judge and Savior.  He judged the Egyptians and saved the Hebrews as His chosen nation. It was to remember the freedom God gave the Hebrews to worship Him and the blessings He bestowed upon them.  It was to remember God’s faithfulness, love, and mercy.  It was to remember all these things, not just as something that happened one evening in the faraway land of Egypt.  It was to remember that God was still Savior, redeemer, with longstanding faithfulness, love, and mercy in the present moment.  It was a time to remember to “5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength... 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:5, 7). The Hebrew concept of remembrance involved renewal of a faith relationship with God.

With this backdrop, we enter the scene of Jesus sharing the Passover meal with His disciples.  There are five New Testament accounts of that evening, as well as the Didache, the Teaching of the Twelve, written at the time of the Gospels.  None of the accounts records Jesus’ words in the same way, but the existence of multiple accounts makes it clear that this was a meal to be remembered and celebrated.  Today, I want to explore the account from the Gospel of Luke.

Luke wrote, “13b So they prepared the Passover.  14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he [Jesus] said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it [the Passover] again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.’  17 After taking the cup, he [Jesus] gave thanks and said, ‘Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes’” (Luke 22:13b-18).  Let’s take this in for a moment.

The Passover meal developed several traditions, not all of which are traceable to a Biblical command.  The traditional Jewish Passover meal now involves a celebration of four cups of wine.  The primary and most widely accepted significance of the four cups comes from the four expressions of redemption that God promises to the Israelites in Exodus 6:6-7: the Cups of Sanctification, Deliverance, Redemption, and Acceptance. This tradition appears only in Jewish writing, well after Jesus' time, so we do not know whether it was a tradition of Jesus’ time.  So, we should not necessarily try to force Jesus's words into modern traditions. Instead, we should see that Jesus took the cup and gave thanks to God for it.  Jesus, in celebrating the Passover meal, was bringing his disciples into a state of remembrance in the Hebrew tradition.  Jesus wanted his disciples to remember that the kingdom of God was near and that they would need to trust in God now more than ever. 

Jesus called the disciples to take the cup and divide it among themselves.  Dividing a single cup would require each person to drink enough, but not so much that there would be none left for others.  Drinking from the same cup also meant that no one was greater than the other. As said earlier, Jesus said of this cup, “‘Take this and divide it among you” (Luke 22:17).  Many scholars believe that Luke did not record the significance of this cup until a few verses later when Luke wrote that Jesus said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20b).  Placing these words together, Jesus said, “Take this [cup] and divide it among you. This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

At this meal, in which the disciples were remembering the Passover, God set forth that he offered the Hebrew people a covenant of sanctification, deliverance, redemption, and acceptance.  Passover was a celebration for the faithful who trusted in God and accepted the mercy offered through the blood of the lamb.  The blood of the lamb saved the Hebrew people from certain death. Now, during the event's reenactment, Jesus instituted the new covenant not with a nation, but with one disciple at a time.  This covenant was more powerful than that of the first Passover because through Jesus’ blood, each believer moved into eternal life. 

In the Old Testament, animal blood was often central to God’s covenants.  Blood was recognized as the sign of life.  Blood was used to atone for sin and purify those entering the covenant. Within this context, Jesus’ blood would seal the covenant He was making with his followers.  It would be Jesus’ blood that gave life, atoned for sin, and would purify the disciples.  But the blood only became available through a sacrificial death.  Jesus invoking a covenant in his own blood would have been seared into the disciples' memory.  Perhaps confusedly, each disciple sipped from the cup and passed it along to the next.

Luke then wrote, “19a And he [Jesus] took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them [his disciples], saying, 'This is my body given for you” (Luke 22:19a).  The bread used in the Passover had no leavening agent, no yeast, in the dough. This was meant to remind the Hebrew people that they had to be prepared to leave on a moment’s notice.  They did not have time for the dough to rise and proof before baking.  Leavening agents in the Hebrew scriptures, our Old Testament, were associated with corruption, impurity, and processes that lead to moral or spiritual defilement. The Jewish people were called to use unleavened bread at the Passover to reinforce themes of separation from Egypt's corruption and of starting fresh in freedom and obedience to God.  More modern commentators go so far as to see the bread of the Passover meal as matzah, which is striped, pierced with holes, and broken for serving, symbolic of how Christ’s body was treated during his crucifixion.  I am not certain we can go that far.

Regardless of the modern symbolism, at the original meal, Jesus made clear that he was making an unbreakable bond with his disciples that would require his body and blood to secure.  And for that, Jesus said to them, “Do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19b). 

“Do this in remembrance of Me.”  When you gather and share the bread and the cup, remember me not with nostalgia or as one remembers a time past.  Remember me in the present by actively doing those things I asked of you.

1. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).
2. Love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31).
3. Repent of your sins and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15).
4. Be compassionate and merciful, just as God is (Luke 6:36).
5. Help the less fortunate (Luke 14:13-14, Matthew 25:31-46).
6. Forgive those who wrong you, even your enemies (Matthew 6:14-15).
7. Do not worry about material things, but seek God's kingdom first (Matthew 6:25-34).
8. Serve others humbly and sacrificially (John 13:14-15).
9. Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them (Matthew 28:19-20).
10. Take up your cross daily and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23).

In a moment, we will have the opportunity to remember Jesus through the bread and the cup.  We do so to recall the meal he shared with his disciples, and to affirm that as we take the bread and the cup we are seeking to take up our cross, make disciples, serve others, not worry, forgive others, be compassionate and merciful, to love our neighbors, and above all to love God.  Let’s hear Jesus’ words once again, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” Amen and Amen.

            Marketing people have helped companies make a lot of money from a simple Latin expression, Carpe Diem, meaning “Seize the Day.”  There is a wide variety of merchandise adorned with the words "Carpe Diem". The words come from a longer phrase, "Dum loquimur, fugerit invida aetas: carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero," which translates to, "While we speak, envious time is fleeing: seize the day, putting as little trust as possible in the next one.”  The line comes from the Roman poet, Horace, in his book, Odes, written around 23 BC.

Last week, I started a sermon series centered on the fleeting time of Jesus' last week.  We began studying that final week of his life and Jesus’ use of time, fleeing time to bring forward some crucial teachings for his disciples.  Jesus was seizing each day, but unlike the poet, Horace, Jesus was not foregoing trust in the future.  Jesus knew the future.  He would soon die and leave his disciples.  His disciples would naturally become discouraged and uncertain about the future.  Jesus wanted them to know what to expect and to trust Jesus’ words.  A central theme for the future until Jesus returned was these seven words: “Watch out that no one deceives you.”

What does it mean to be deceived?  The dictionary says to deceive someone is to “deliberately cause someone to believe something that is not true, especially for personal gain.”  In Jesus’ presence for the last three years, the disciples could not be deceived because Jesus knew and was the truth. That was going to change quickly. In just a few days, one of their own, Judas Iscariot, would deceive the other disciples into believing he was still a loyal follower of Jesus.  Jesus knew Judas’ heart and that Judas had betrayed him.  But Jesus decided not to tell his other disciples about Judas’ plans and his treachery.

With the days fleeing, Mark shared with us from his gospel, “1 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!’  2 ‘Do you see all these great buildings?’ replied Jesus. ‘Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down’” (Mark 13:1-2).  Jesus had confidently spoken about the future and the destruction of the Temple, the visible heart of Judaism.  Jesus’ words are so casual that they downplay the shock of their meaning.  With the destruction of the Temple would come the end of atoning animal sacrifices, the end of Temple taxes, the end of the High Priests and priestly orders, the end of the Sadducees and the Pharisees, and the end of the Herodian dynasty of Herod the Great and his sons.  Every Jewish person and group that stood opposed to Jesus and his message would be gone with the Temple.  It would be to the Jewish people as if the world had come to an end.  Jesus’ disciples did not respond to Jesus’ words.

A little later, Jesus and his disciples were outside Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives, looking back toward the city, towards those buildings with their magnificent blocks.  As they sat there, the four disciples of Jesus’ inner circle, Peter and his brother Andrew, with James and his brother John, approached Jesus in private.  “4 Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” they asked Jesus (Mark 13:4).  Jesus’ predicted Temple destruction was very unsettling.  Jesus’ response did little to calm his much-disturbed disciples. Jesus said, “Watch out that no one deceives you.”  While the destruction of the Temple was of most concern to Jesus’ disciples, it was not foremost on Jesus's mind as his days were becoming fewer.  Jesus was concerned about the deceit, not the destruction that was coming.

“Watch out that no one deceives you.”  Jesus’ words were very personal and directed toward the men seated with him.  It was not the toppling of stones that was on Jesus’ mind; it was the collapse of faith. “5 Jesus said to them: ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many’” (Mark 13:5-6).  Jesus laid bare his concern. Many will come in Jesus’ name, either claiming to be Him or claiming to be from Him, seeking to cause someone to believe something that is not true.  Jesus warned that many will be deceived.

Jesus’ disciples may have wished they had not had this conversation with Jesus.  At first, they thought their biggest concern was the destruction of the Temple.  Now, the biggest concern was people successfully deceiving others about who Jesus is and what his message was.

Jesus’ identity was a central question for Jesus’ disciples. One time, Jesus and his disciples were walking to the villages around Caesarea Philippi.  “27b On the way, Jesus asked them, ‘Who do people say I am?’  28 They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’  29 ‘But what about you?’ he asked. “Who do you say I am?’  Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah.’  30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him (Mark 27b-30). Knowing Jesus’ identity was a core part of Jesus’ mission and purpose.  Here, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” and Peter said, “You are the Messiah.”  So central was Peter’s answer that Mark, a close companion of Peter, began his entire gospel this way, “1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1).  Mark wanted no doubt about the identity of Jesus because Mark knew from Jesus’ disciples that Jesus revealed that others would come as deceivers claiming “I am he,” the Messiah, the Son of God.

The early church did not need to wait long for Jesus’ prophesies to come true.  In 66 AD, the Jews revolted against the Romans.  Four years later, Roman legions overwhelmed Jerusalem and the Temple.  Shortly thereafter, the Romans knocked down the Temple completely.  The only remnant of the Temple is the western wall of the Temple complex, known today as the Wailing Wall.  False messiahs appeared in Israel and have continued to appear across the globe since that time, including into the 20th century, with Reverend Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church, also known as the Moonies, claiming to be the Messiah.  Others held messianic beliefs in the United States, ranging from Ann Lee, leader of the Shakers in Colonie, to David Koresh, leader of the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas.  The false messiahs and those with messianic behaviors deceived many.

How, then, might we apply Jesus's words of warning from his final days?  Let’s think about it this way.  The American comedian, Jeff Foxworthy, had a comic routine that went, “You might be a redneck if…”  And then Foxworthy would fill in the blank with something humorous, poking fun at people usually from the southern states.  Following Foxworthy’s model, we could say, “You might be a deceived person if…”

• You follow anyone other than Jesus. Salvation is tied to one person and one person alone, Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God.  One time, the Apostle Paul and his fellow evangelist were in the city of Lystra.  The residents of Lystra mistakenly believed Paul and Barnabas to be the Greek gods Hermes and Zeus after Paul miraculously healed a man who had been lame from birth. Believing the gods had visited in human form, the crowd attempted to offer sacrifices to worship Paul and Barnabas, but the apostles tore their clothes in horror, proclaiming themselves to be mere mortals and directing the people to the living God.  Watch out that no one deceives you.  We are to find our salvation in Jesus alone.
• “You might be a deceived person if you have faith in Jesus and works.”  The Apostle John tells us, “16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  The Apostle Paul said, “28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law” (Romans 3:28).  The Apostle Paul in a letter to the Christians at Colossae quoted one of the earliest Christian hymns which concluded with these words, “19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:19-20).  Watch out that no one deceives you.  Do not be deceived, it is by belief in Jesus Christ, not your own good works, that grants forgiveness and eternal life; good deeds, works, are the result of true faith, not a requirement for it.
• “You might be a deceived person if you believe all souls will eventually be reconciled to God.”  Multiple times in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke (Matthew 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28), Jesus made clear that judgment would be upon those who rejected God.  Such people would be excluded from God’s presence and experience a state of extreme sorrow, regret, and torment, weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Jesus also made clear that an impassable chasm exists between the realm of the saved (Abraham's bosom/Heaven) and the place of torment (Hades/Hell) after death.  Watch out that no one deceives you.  Do not believe the claims that everyone gets to heaven.
• “You might be a deceived person if you believe in the Ten Commandments, the Ten Commandments of Progressive Christianity.” What are those Ten Commandments:
  1. Jesus is a model for living more than an object for worship.  Translation: Jesus is one of the best people to follow among many, but not God to be worshipped.
  2. Affirming people’s potential is more important than reminding them of their brokenness.  Translation: God is only interested in what you can do, not in having you repent from sin.
  3. The work of reconciliation should be valued over making judgments.  Translation: Focus on your relationships with other people, and do not be concerned with your relationship with God.
  4. Gracious behavior is more critical than right beliefs. Translation: It does not matter what you believe if you are a good person, as you would define good.
  5. Inviting questions is more valuable than supplying answers.  Translation: The Bible is to be used to foster a questioning attitude; it does not give you any reliable answers.
  6. Encouraging the personal search is more important than group uniformity.  Translation: You are at the center of all things as you seek “Your truth,” but there are no absolute truths, as the Bible claims.
  7. Meeting actual needs is more important than maintaining institutions. Translation:  Serving people’s physical needs and wants matters; helping them toward a relationship with God is unnecessary.
  8. Peacemaking is more important than power. Translation: Tolerate all human expressions, even if they defy God.
  9. We should care more about love and less about sex. Translation: All sexually intimate relationships, whether before, during, after, or outside of marriage, are inherently loving, even if they are not.
  10. Life in this world is more important than life in the hereafter. Translation: Live well now because hell does not exist and heaven is only a possibility.

You do not need to wonder if so-called Progressive Christian churches exist locally, because they do.  There are many.  Some are independent, but most are embedded in traditional denominations.  They match Jesus’ words that they come in Jesus’ name, but they are deceivers.  Jesus said to his disciples, “Watch out that no one deceives you.”

            How then do we avoid being deceived?  The Apostle Paul gave some simple advice.  Paul said, “16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:20-22).  There are eight things we can do to avoid being deceived.

1. Rejoice always. Rejoice that you have Christ.
2. Pray continually. Make your relationship with God through Christ your most important relationship.
3. Give thanks to God in all things.  Keep your focus on God.
4. Do not quench the Holy Spirit.  Read God’s word and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
5. Do not treat prophecies with contempt.  Accept God’s word and the discipleship efforts as a gift even when those teachings conflict with your worldview.
6. Test everything you hear.  How do I test?  Test what is said against what God has said.
7. After testing – hold on to what is good.  God wants you to have good gifts from Him.
8. Reject everything that Scripture does not support, because it is evil.

Jesus was soon to give his life for the truth and for our salvation.  He did not want his life to be wasted.  Therefore, He said, “Watch out that no one deceives you.”  If we keep our focus upon God, pray continually, test everything, hold on to what is good, and reject what is evil, we shall not be deceived.  God’s word tells us that God himself, the God of peace, will sanctify us completely, keeping us blameless at the coming of Jesus.  God is faithful, and he will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).  Watch out that no one deceives you.  Amen and Amen.

            I want to start today a little bit on the heavy side of thinking.  Suppose you knew you had only one week to live.  Now that is a serious thought.  How would you spend your time?  What would you want people to know before you died?  I suspect that none of us would want to waste a moment of that time. We would wish to every minute to count. This was the situation that Jesus found himself in.  Jesus knew his time living in the flesh was ending, and he wanted every moment to count. Jesus’ final week in the flesh would transpire between what we call Palm Sunday and Good Friday.  Some churches call those days Holy Week, Passion Week, or the Great Week. 

Jesus had been in public ministry for three years and now had just one week left.  The Gospel writers recorded those three years, and of all the things they wrote about Jesus, nearly 40% was dedicated to describing that last week of Jesus’ life. In my extra-large print Bible, the gospels take up 193 pages.  That means 116 pages describe 3 years of Jesus’ life, and 77 pages describe one week of his life.  Jesus’ final week was crucial to the gospel message.  In many ways, we should see those 77 pages on Jesus’ last week as the focal point of Jesus’ overall purpose, with the other 116 pages serving to prepare us to receive it.  Given that, I want us to spend some time over the next eight weeks looking at Jesus’ words from that week.  We need the time for serious conversations about what Jesus had to say.  To guide us, I have selected the following eight statements from Jesus to focus our thinking.  Here are those statements.

“My house shall be a house of prayer.”

“Watch out that no one deceives you.”

“Do this in remembrance of Me.”

“Take this cup from me.”

“The hour has come.”

“I am he.”

“I thirst.”

“Mary.”

With that introduction, let’s begin with Jesus’ statement, “My house shall be a house of prayer.”  What was the context of that statement?  Who heard it? What was their reaction?  How was God revealed through that statement? What difference does that statement make to you and me?

We find that this statement was made in the context of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what we now call Palm Sunday.  All four gospels record Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem. Today, I will use Matthew’s account as our primary source.

Jesus and his disciples came to the village of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, just to the east of Jerusalem.  It was a few days before Passover, and Jewish people from across the known world were approaching Jerusalem to celebrate.  Jesus intended for the group to enter Jerusalem.  It would not be the first time Jesus had been to Jerusalem, but this time would be different.  Instead of walking into the city, Jesus intended to ride in on a colt of a donkey.  Jesus sent two of his disciples into the village to retrieve a donkey and its colt, which were tied there, and bring them to him.  Matthew, quoting from the Old Testament prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 9:9), wrote, “5 Say to Daughter Zion (Jerusalem), ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey’” (Matthew 21:5).  What should we gather from this opening?  We should see that Jesus intended for people to see him enter Jerusalem, and to see him as a king, fulfilling the Hebrew Scriptures.  But Jesus was not just any king.  Jesus was a king in the line of David.  And it was not just Jerusalem that was the object of Jesus’ entry into the city; it was the Temple within the city walls that was His objective.  It was David’s son, King Solomon, who built and dedicated the first Temple in Jerusalem.  It would be David’s 13th-generation descendant, King Hezekiah, who would purify the Temple after it had become corrupted with idols.  It would be Josiah, a 16th-generation descendant of David, who would cleanse the Temple again.  It would now be Jesus, coming as a king, a 28th-generation descendant of David, who would enter Jerusalem and make his way to the Temple.  We will see why in a moment.

Jesus’ disciples brought the colt and donkey, placing their cloaks upon the colt, and Jesus sat on the animal.  “8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’  ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’  ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’” (Matthew 21:8-9). The word “Hosanna” is a plea from the people, meaning, “Lord, save us.”  These words come from the Hebrew Scriptures, our Old Testament, Psalm 118, “25 Lord, save us!  Lord, grant us success!  26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord, we bless you.  27 The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar” (Psalm 118:25-27). The words of the people confirm the destination.  Their words come from the house of the Lord, and their procession will go to the very altar of God.

Jesus’ entry could not be missed.  As pilgrims from around the world made their way by walking into the city, Jesus rode upon a colt with crowds before him and behind him, shouting words of scripture, laying down cloaks on the ground as though to create a red carpet, and waving boughs, branches, and palms to draw attention and give praise. “10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’  11 The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee’” (Matthew 21:10-11).  Who is this, indeed!  It is Jesus from Nazareth, a prophet, who now enters Jerusalem as king.  That news certainly stirred up the people, but it was not Jesus’ intent to enter the city to do just that.  Jesus had a week left in his life.  He had something greater to do than enter the city and be noticed by the inhabitants and visitors.

At that moment, “12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 ‘It is written,’ he [Jesus] said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers’” (Matthew 21:12-13).  Suddenly, without warning, Jesus, leading the procession of cheering, palm-waving crowds, erupted with righteous outrage, as other prophets had before him.  Jesus’ anger was directed at everyone in the temple courts, those buying and those selling.  His outrage extended to those exchanging foreign currency for temple coins to pay their temple taxes.  For them, Jesus overturned the tables of coins from all over the world, mixing them with the temple's coins.   He overturned the benches of those selling doves and pigeons to the poor worshippers, making themselves more affluent and the worshippers poorer.

Jesus shouted the words of the prophet Isaiah, sharing God’s Word, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7). God had revealed through the prophet Isaiah that His house was to be for all people who would come to Him, regardless of nation or defect.  God would hear the prayers of those who would keep his commands.  Jesus’ actions to drive out those selling, buying, and exchanging money were the act of a king purifying the temple of corruption.  Hebrew kings purified the Temple in the past, and it was happening yet again.

What was that corruption?  Jesus said to the temple officials and to those he chased away, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers’” (Matthew 21:13).  Instead of a house of prayer for the faithful, the Temple had become a hiding place for people who were nothing more than thieves.  A den of robbers is the place, that secret place, that thieves retreat to, believing in that spot they are safe from prying eyes or those in authority.   A den of robbers is for robbers only, not for everyone; it is an exclusive place with rules and fees to enter.  Jesus, coming as king, as prophet from Nazareth, and as savior, with the people praising with shouts of “Hosanna,” purified the Temple, highlighting the harm to God’s plan: “My house will be called a house of prayer.”

No sooner had Jesus purified the Temple than did something remarkable happen: “14 The blind and the lame came to him [Jesus] at the temple, and he [Jesus] healed them” (Matthew 21:14).  At first, we might think, what is so unusual about Jesus’ healing people?  There was nothing unusual about Jesus performing a miraculous healing, except for this.  Up to this point, the blind and the lame were excluded from the Temple as being defective, perhaps struck by God for their sinful behaviors.  Now, the blind and the lame entered the purified  Temple to see Jesus, and he healed them.  These healings are the only ones recorded for us as occurring in the Temple.

Something had changed.  Jesus, the king, prophet, savior, and healer, was now within the Temple to hear the pleas of all the people and to receive their praise.  “15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he [Jesus] did and the children shouting in the temple courts, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ they were indignant.  16 ‘Do you hear what these children are saying?’ they asked him [Jesus].  ‘Yes,’ replied Jesus, ‘have you never read, ‘From the lips of children and infants, You, Lord, have called forth your praise?’” 17 And he [Jesus] left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night” (Matthew 21:15-17).  The Temple's leadership was indignant.  Under what authority did Jesus presume to purify the Temple, allow the blind and lame to enter to be healed, and allow children to sing praises to him?  How dare he do such things and allow such things by others!”  Jesus responded that God Himself was involved here, as the psalmist had written, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings I [God] have ordained praise” (Psalm 8:3, Septuagint). Praise of God, even from those who can barely speak, shall happen in His presence.  The Temple leadership was stunned.  Jesus had told them in so many ways that He was God.  At that, Jesus left them and went to Bethany.

Jesus had spent the first of his final days fulfilling prophecy, exciting people that their king and savior had come, purifying his temple of corruption, healing those who had been excluded, receiving shouts of praise from adults and children alike, and confronting the corrupt leadership over their unwillingness to see who he was.  It was a powerful day for those who were listening.

When we step back for a moment and consider that it makes sense that with Jesus knowing His time was ending, He must enter Jerusalem and into the heart of Judaism, its Temple.  We cannot overstate the importance of the Temple to every aspect of Jewish life. The Temple was critical, and those who ran it were exceptionally self-important and wealthy.  But the practices and rules had corrupted the true worship of God.  In Luke’s account of Jesus coming to Jerusalem, we would read, “41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes’” (Luke 19:41-42).  The love of the Temple had blinded the people, especially the Temple leadership, from seeing who Jesus was.  And although Jesus would show them on this day, he also knew their hearts were hardened to the truth.  So hardened were the hearts of the Temple leadership against Jesus that they would cite Jesus’ conduct in the Temple as reason enough to execute him.

What then do we make of all that transpired on that first day of Jesus’ last week?  What do we make of Jesus’ statement that, “My house shall be a house of prayer?”  Let’s consider three things.

First, on the first day, Jesus took the opportunity to make clear who He was.  Jesus is a king.  Jesus is a prophet.  Jesus is a savior. He is God.  Do you see Jesus this way? 

Is Jesus king or lord over your life?  Are his commands things you desire to do?

Let’s look at just a few of Jesus commands from the Gospel of Matthew.

• Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. (Matthew 4:17)
• Come, follow me. (Matthew 4:19)
• Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven. (Matthew 5:12)
• Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)
• Go and make disciples (Matthew 28:18)

Jesus came to be lord or King over your life because He has the words of life.  When we celebrate the first day of the last week of Jesus' life, Palm Sunday, we are celebrating Christ's kingship over us.

Is Jesus the final prophet of God to guide you?  Jesus’ prophesies about himself were that he would reconcile all things to himself.  Just from Matthew, Jesus said he would sit on the throne and gather all nations before him (Matthew 25:31-33) and that he would come again (Matthew 24:42).  When we celebrate the first day of the last week of Jesus' life, Palm Sunday, we are celebrating reliving Jesus’ first time coming as king in anticipation of the second time he comes as king.  We should be excited that one day, Christ will come and all things will be reconciled.

Is Jesus your savior?  Jesus said, “21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).  What is the will of the Father?  That we would believe in Christ for eternal life (John 6:39-40).  When we celebrate the first day of the last week of Jesus’ life, Palm Sunday, we are celebrating again that Jesus is our Savior, Hosanna, Save us.

Secondly, Jesus said to those who would listen at the time, “My house shall be called a house of prayer.”  Jesus was pointing his listeners back to Isaiah, Chapter 56. Isaiah had recorded for us these words of the Lord, “1 This is what the Lord says: ‘Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed.  2a Blessed is the one who does this…6b Who hold fast to my covenant – 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer… for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56:1, 2a, 6b-7).  Jesus described God’s house as a wedding banquet.  Jesus said, “2 The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.  8 “Then he [the king] said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.”  (Matthew 22:1-3, 8-10).  God’s house, the dwelling place of God, is a place of joy and answered prayer.  It is for those who have heard God’s invitation and accepted, regardless of their past sins.  When we celebrate the first day of the last week of Jesus’ life, Palm Sunday, we are invited to enter God’s house through the purity of Jesus Christ. We are celebrating answered prayer for the invitation to receive mercy and life.  In that understanding, whether we are infants or seasoned in the faith, we know that we can sing praises to God, as they did along the road to Jerusalem and within the Temple.

Where did you find yourself in today’s account?  Were you with the crowd singing Hosanna?  That would be a good place to be.  Were you one of the children singing praises to Jesus in the Temple?  That would be a good place to be.  Were you perhaps one of those healed today by Jesus because you learned you are not excluded from the house of prayer?  That would be a good place to be, too.  Or were you perhaps one of the disturbed inhabitants of Jerusalem asking, “Who is this?” Please wonder no more.  This is Jesus.  Your king, prophet, savior, and your God.  And He has something to tell you.  “Come, follow me and live.  For my house shall be called a house of prayer.”  Amen and Amen.