Doing What Has to Be Done

Holy Saturday


John 19:38-42

After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Takin' care of business and working overtime

"Takin' Care of Business" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive written by Randy Bachman from "Bachman-Turner Overdrive II (Yes, that's Keith Moon introducing the clip)

The Lord is dead. Dead. He's not in a coma. He's not asleep. He's not faking it. He's dead. So there's nothing left to do. Actually there is one thing to be done, the Sabbath is coming and he has to be put into a tomb. They won't get it done in time, but they have to do as much burial preparation as they can before sunset.

If this isn't bad enough, Jesus doesn't even have a "they" to prepare him for burial. His apostles and disciples have scattered. Their Lord was on a cross, it would be only human to want to find a place to hide. If they had come out they could have been invited to share his death sooner rather than later. Somebody has to do what has to be done. Somebody has to take care of business.

Joseph of Arimathea asks Pilate for the body. According to Luke's gospel, Joseph was a member of the Jewish ruling council. John tells us he feared the Jews so he was a secret disciple. This actually served Jesus well since he could come for the body without raising suspicion. Nicodemus also came. This is the same Nicodemus who was told that he must be born again. He came with about 100 pounds of burial spices and aloes. Someone also made sure the linen was there to wrap the body. Together they took the body to an empty tomb, which according to Matthew's gospel belonged to Joseph.

It had to be done. The rulers of the temple wanted all three men off the cross before sunset so the nation could celebrate the Passover in peace. Joseph and Nicodemus had to work overtime to make sure it got done.

There was no joy. There was no hope. There was only fear of what would come next. If Emmanuel, God with us, can be killed then all bets are off. Someone might have the thought in the back of their mind that the resurrection would come, but today that thought was a million miles away. Today was a work day.

There are days when the resurrection seems like it's a million miles away, but guess what--it's not. It's coming. The resurrection is coming. But today, while all seems hopeless, we still gotta take care of business. And it's hard. God knows it's hard. That's why God is with us, Emmanuel. Even when we don't think God is present, Emmanuel. Especially when we think we have been forsaken by God, Emmanuel.

Black Friday, or Is It?

Good Friday


Matthew 27:45-46

From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Black Friday comes
I'm gonna dig myself a hole
Gonna lay down in it 'til
I satisfy my soul
Gonna let the world pass by me
The Archbishop's gonna sanctify me
And if he don't come across
I'm gonna let it roll

"Black Friday" by Walter Becker and Donald Fagan recorded by Steely Dan

Forsaken. What a word! Jesus asks his father, his Heavenly Father why he has forsaken him. Abandoned and deserted; these are good words too, but forsaken has more baggage with it, more emotion. The cry of "My God, why have you forsaken me?" is a cry that we really can't imagine.

Well, perhaps we can imagine it. There are times in life that it feels like God has left us on the side of the road. Death of loved ones, divorce, and addiction are good examples. Losing a job, especially finding that it went overseas just to save some faceless corporation money. Money some CEO will use to clean his other swimming pool.

Feeling like someone we love no longer loves us, that's what Jesus felt exponentially. Jesus had an intimate connection, a perfect connection with the Heavenly Father. Had. It's a connection we hope for, one we will only know on the other side of glory. Up until that moment that is the only connection to the Father he had ever known, and suddenly it's gone. Suddenly his connection to his Father is gone. He has been abandoned. He has been deserted. He has been forsaken.

It's Black Friday, from noon until three in the afternoon it's dark. It's dark in what should be the noonday sun. There is a darkness over the land and there is a darkness over the Lord. Jesus is forsaken. It's Black Friday.

"When Black Friday comes I'm gonna dig myself a hole. Gonna lay down in it 'til I satisfy my soul." It's Black Friday and nothing good is happening. The Lord cries that he is forsaken, what is left for the rest of us? Deep in a hole might be awfully depressing, but at that moment it might also be awfully inviting. It also seems like the safest place to be at this moment. The Archbishop isn't sanctifying anything right now. Since he isn't coming across, all I can do is let it roll. Let it roll.

Is there Good News? Well, it sure doesn't seem like there's any Good News, not today. But the church doesn't call this "Black Friday," the church calls this "Good Friday." Frankly, there wasn't anything good about it on this day. This is the day that we are so forsaken light abandons us.

There's nothing "good" about it today. Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? For the Good News, we'll have to wait. We can wait this horrible weekend because Sunday's coming.

It's Bound to Take Your Life

Maundy Thursday


Mark 14:32-35

They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.” And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't go around tonight,
Well, it's bound to take your life,
There's a bad moon on the rise.

"Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Maybe we should all recognize by this scripture from Mark that Jesus, the fully human and fully divine Son of God and Son of Man did not have a death wish. Jesus did not tell neither his Father nor the world, "Bring it on! You got something for me, I got something for you!" No, Jesus was grieved knowing what was coming. Jesus knew the pain, suffering, and shame the world would inflict upon him all too soon. He is Messiah, not masochist. Only a fool would say "Bring it on!" Jesus was grieved.

Jesus was grieved knowing that the heavenly Father, for whom nothing was impossible, would not take the cup of death from his lips.

Jesus prayed that this time, this hour, this trial, this disgrace, this indignity, this death, would pass him like the cloud of death on Passover. He prayed his friends would be strong enough to stay awake and pray, he even brought his three closest friends to be closer and do just two things: stay put and stay awake. They got it half right but if you fall asleep gravity does the rest.

Let this show us two things. The first is that we all fail Jesus. Let those who say they are without sin know that they fool themselves more than they fool anybody else. The apostles, the twelve, those closest to the Messiah fall short. If they fall short in the physical presence of the Messiah what does that hold for us.

The second thing is that Jesus perseveres. He is human enough to treasure life, a life so full of love and hope that only the most human person, the only fully human person can live it. But because Jesus treasured all life and worked for its redemption, because Jesus lived fully even in the hour of his arrest, only because he knew the bad moon was rising and it was bound to take his life; because of Jesus we live.

Teaching the Children

Maundy Thursday


John 13:34-35

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Teach your children well,
Their father's hell did slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picked, the one you'll know by.
Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you would cry,
So just look at them and sigh and know they love you.

"Teach Your Children" written by Graham Nash and recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young

This was becoming a very different sort of evening. The first last supper had just been celebrated. Jesus had washed everyone's feet. In the ancient of days, you couldn't require a slave to wash your feet, you just had to do that yourself. Suddenly, the Lord is washing the feet of his disciples. True to his reputation, Peter tells the Lord not to wash his feet. Peter knows local custom and knows it's not right. That's the thing about God, God takes what's not right and makes it right. Like washing feet.

Since the Lord God can wash a disciple's feet, it's not below the vocation of any disciple to wash the feet of others. It's God telling us that there's no act that's "beneath them."

Judas was out the door. Satan had entered him and so time was short. God is eternal, but in this life Jesus only had the time it took Judas to round up the troops and come back. So time was short. It was the hour, both figuratively and literally. So Jesus gives his final instructions to his disciples.

Jesus teaches his disciples one more commandment. Love one another. Just as he loved them, they must love one another. This hasn't always been easy. Jesus' love included discipline. Peter found himself on the receiving end of this gem more than once. Jesus' love included sending the disciples off into the world to share the gospel. Jesus' love even let them stretch their wings beyond where they could fly-showing them that he would always be with them.

Jesus teaches that by this, everyone will know that they are his disciples. It is in their love that the world will know who his disciples are. It is also the way that the world will know who false prophets are.

Teach your children well. Teach them your dreams. Teach them that there is something wonderful in this life, and it is found in the font of many blessings. By this, our hell will go by. By this, there is new life--even in death.

Final words mean everything. Many want their last words to be profound and wonderful and glorious. People want their last words to be significant. Last words say to the world "If I had just one last thing to say, this is it." Jesus' last words are to love one another." That's it. He begins with love. From love, the same love he has shown his disciples, everything else will flow.

In love everything worth doing, everything worth having, everything worth sharing begins. Love is the beginning. Love is everything.

Betrayal

Wednesday of Holy Week


Matthew 26:47-49

While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him.” At once he came up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you are here to do.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(They smile in your face)
All the time they want to take your place
The back stabbers (back stabbers)

"Back Stabbers" by The O'Jays

Here's one of the great questions of scripture, "Why did Judas do what he did?" Matthew's gospel is quiet about the question of betrayal. Later gospels say that Satan had entered him and this is when he betrayed his Lord. But this is missing from the earliest gospels, Mark's and Matthew's.

So why? The gnostic Gospel of Judas says his actions were done in obedience to instructions given by Christ. This was the plan all along, and Judas was the only one who would know what goes on behind the scenes. Yes, Judas would betray his Lord but only at this Lord's insistence and by his directions. Well, the family of Judas might want this story to be true, but no. It has been discredited since 180 AD.

Another possibility for the betrayal is that Judas wanted to force Jesus to become the warrior political Christ who would free Israel from the clutches of Rome. Israel needed its freedom and if Jesus wouldn't do it on his own the Judas would give him a push. It would only make sense that given the choice between the glorious eternal freedom of the nation and death by crucifixion, glorious eternal freedom wins every time.

Well, not every time.

In truth, we can't really know why Judas did what he did. Motivation is one thing, outcome is another; and only the outcome can be known today. Judas betrayed his Lord. Whether to the Romans or to overthrow the Romans, Judas betrayed his Lord.

Matthew's version is peculiar because it features this phrase, "Friend, do what you are here to do." Jesus knew what was going to happen. He knew what was happening. Jesus knew that this had to happen, that battle was fought in Gethsemane not long before this scene. Jesus knew. Jesus knew it and Jesus expected it. Did he welcome it? Not according to Matthew's gospel.

Imagine that all along the Chief Priests and the elders were smiling over what was happening. If it was true that it is better for one to die than for many, they were getting their one. They smiled in his face while testing him. Now that try to put him in a place they denied he held, the place of the Messiah, the Christ. Back stabbers.

The Chief Priests and the elders are in charge, so does this make Judas a simple pawn in the course of history and eternity? Maybe. This doesn't make his betrayal of his Lord any better. It could well make it worse. Hinge of history? Hardly.

The Biggest Renegade of Them All

Tuesday of Holy Week


Matthew 26:20-23

When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve; and while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, “Surely not I, Lord?” He answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The jig is up the news is out they've finally found me
The renegade who had it made retrieved for a bounty

"Renegade" by Styx

The Son of God and the Son of Man as the Renegade, it makes a lot more sense than you might think. The subject of the faith, the holiest of the holy, he stayed with tax collectors. He let a woman (that's bad enough) of ill repute (even worse) tend to his feet at dinner. He called as disciples the impetuous, the short tempered, the "Sons of Thunder," a Roman collaborator, and a Zealot. He would even call the one who would betray him. For one who is so holy you'd think he would spend his time in the with a better class of people.

Au contraire...

Jesus had his harshest words for those who were supposed to be taking care of the God's temple and doing God's work. He was gentle with those who were suffering. He stood with and for those on the fringes.

He was a renegade, his teaching, his work, and his faith were a challenge to the leaders, both the temple and civil leaders. Something had to be done, and it was done. The renegade who had it made retrieved for a bounty.

The Good News is that nothing could contain the Christ. Not the expectations of the people, the betrayal of his disciple, the conspiracies of the leaders, or even Pilate washing his hands.

What's better is that if God can defeat this, what can't we do through him? God is doing a new thing in our lives and in all life. This weekend, we may think the jig is up, but by Easter, the old jig is going to be shattered.

Now

Monday of Holy Week


John 12:23-24

Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

"Time" written by Mason, Waters, Wright, Gilmour and recorded by Pink Floyd

So what did Jesus mean when he said "The hour has come."? Scholars have their opinions. It's the passover. Jerusalem had about 40,000 residents, but during the Passover it also housed 200,000 pilgrims. It's like New Orleans at Mardi Gras, but the parade was on Palm Sunday. You gotta say this about a good crowd-everyone shows up. Nobody goes to a bad crowd.

Jesus had just heard that a group of Greeks wanted to speak with him. The Greeks were the world travelers. The Romans ran the government, but the Greeks were the cultural trendsetters of the time. When the Greeks heard about Jesus they had to meet him. When the Greeks saw what would happen over the course of the week, word would spread not only across Palestine, but through Rome and the world. Oh yes, it was time.

It was time for Jesus to die. In his death, from the one Christ, in his blood will flow Christians. Through Christ, there is much fruit, the best fruit.

Imagine living all your life waiting for something to happen. Often, nothing happens unless you make it happen. In Christ, we don't have to wait because we have someone showing us the way. The moments still tick away, and some days will be duller than others, but in Christ, we have someone showing us the way.

On this Passover week so long ago, something was about to happen. Time was pregnant and eternity was being birthed. Jesus knew what would happen, the rest of the world was going to discover what would happen. Jesus shows the way to something more than we could ever hope or imagine. We won't just knock around in our home town anymore, it's not the same after Jesus comes to town.

"When" we ask? "Now" the Lord answers. The Greeks are here. The Word is ready to circle the globe. Jesus has done his part and continues to do his part. It's time for us to listen and share. The time is now.

the boys are back, the boys are back

Palm Sunday


Matthew 21:1-11

When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,

“Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Guess who just got back today?
Those wild-eyed boys that had been away

"The Boys Are Back in Town" recorded by Thin Lizzy, written by Phil Lynott, from "Jailbreak"

Jesus had been in Jerusalem before. He had been there for his presentation at the temple. He had been there with his family when he was young and he taught in the temple. Depending upon the gospel you're reading he had been there several other times too. Well, guess what, Jesus is coming back to town.

Jesus comes to town on a donkey, the colt of a donkey. He rides on the back of this humble beast. He rides into town on the animal of the ancient kings of Israel, one that could handle the rocky terrain. He is not on the back of a war horse like a conquering hero. Yes, he comes as a king, but not a king who comes with an army to conquer the land, he comes on a humble beast.

He rides into town causing a comotion with people throwing their cloaks down on the road and cutting branches from the trees for him to ride over. It is a triumphant entry into Jerusalem. But not everyone knows who he is.

Matthew's introduction of Jesus' ride into Jerusalem even tells us that while the crowd knows him, the city doesn't. So the crowd tells the city who he is. They tell the city who Jesus is crying out:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Hosanna, by this time in history the meaning of this word was largely lost. It had become sort of a "holy hoorah." But what it means is "save" or "we beseech you." This is our cry too. Save us O Jesus, save us O Lord.

Thin Lizzy lead singer and songwriter Phil Lynott belts out that when the boys are back in town "drink will flow and blood will spill." This happened when Jesus and his boys were back in town too. During this week, Jesus will celebrate what we now call the Lord's Supper. In this meal drink will flow and in its way blood will spill. By the cup we come crying "Save us O Jesus, save us O Lord."

But this comes later in the week. In the meantime, the boys are back, the boys are back, thank God Almighty, the boys are back.