Good Friday Passion Vespers
Luke 22-23
April 2, 2021
We can think about the death of Jesus in two ways. The first is cosmic. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son….” On Palm Sunday the Pharisees lamented, “Look, the world has gone after Him!” When Jesus is crucified, the whole world is judged.
So what are we still doing here? With two millennia nearly passed since the death and resurrection of Jesus, why does the world go on, with things seeming to get worse, not better? Why not end this world and get on with the new one?
The reason is that God also wants to deal with each one of us personally. The death of Jesus is cosmic, but it is also personal. You, in all your uniqueness, are part of the story.
Thus the cast of characters in the Passion—cowards, thieves, politicians, and liars—the characters are there so we can see ourselves, that we also matter to God. The Passion is history—it’s a real thing that happened—but it’s recorded to deliver to us the effects of the history. God is still working on you and me to change us, transform us, forgive us and sanctify us.
I really like the new chancel. The other day I was sitting up here; no one else was around. I wanted to pray, but the words, the thoughts, they just wouldn’t come. My head was a jumble of chaos; my inadequacy made me melancholy. I looked up and, from here, the angle is severe. You realize you are right below the cross. And that’s where my life needs to be: under the cross, covered by His work, the recipient of His words.
I thought, What would I say to Jesus if I was right there? What did the characters in the Gospel say to Jesus? “Help!” “Lord Jesus, will you heal my son?” “Lord, will you forgive me?”
The statues beneath the cross are John and Mary, but they’re there for you to see yourself, as someone with nowhere else to go but under the cross.
So the Passion narrative gives us Peter: angry, drawing his sword to fight. Then pretending he’s never heard of Jesus. And finally, weeping bitterly.
You’ve got the disciples. They’re arguing with each other about power: who’s the greatest, who’s going to be in control. Then, they’re supposed to pray, but they fall asleep.
You’ve got church officials lying, and doing what they can to keep their jobs and not upset the government.
You’ve got a real live insurrectionist, in prison for murder.
You’ve got a politician, who sends Jesus to His execution but pretends he’s not responsible, it’s not his fault.
Can’t you see yourself in all these people? Sinners. Failures. Hypocrites.
And then you’ve got the thief who, with his dying gasp says, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
Those are the words, when you can’t pray anything else. That’s where Jesus is bringing you, with all your anxiety, all your sorrow, all your sins: beneath the cross. “Jesus, help!” “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” To him Jesus replies, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Jesus dealt with him personally. When it was all over, and He was raised from the dead, Jesus also dealt with Peter personally, absolving him. And by His cross and by His words, Jesus is also dealing with you and me personally.
So the promises are for you, the death of Jesus is for you, be you a coward, a hothead, a hypocrite. Until the end of this life, until the day of resurrection, this is where we stay: beneath the cross. We keep on saying, “Jesus, help,” “Jesus, forgive,” “Jesus, remember me.” He will answer. He will save. He will do it.
“I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”