PALM/PASSION SUNDAY
5 April Anno + Domini 2009
"The Passion of the Christâ€
John 12:12-19; Matthew 26:1-27:66
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
No one ever left one of Jesus' sermons saying, "Well, that was nice." Either they hated Him and wanted to kill Him, like the Pharisees, or it changed their lives, like Zacchaeus and St. Matthew, the tax-collectors. There is no in-between place, no comfort zone. All would-be fence riding moderates, all those waiting to see which way the wind will blow, they already belong to Satan.
To a certain degree this is the problem of the modern Church: We leave far too many services, hear far too many sermons, and say, "Well, that was nice." And not only have we done that and liked it, but we have even hungered for it and demanded it. We have said: "Preacher, don't rock the boat! Just give us a modern version of the old lies. Fill the offering plate with pious platitudes and quaint moral lessons. But don't hit us where we live. Don't challenge us. Don't teach us. Don't open up the Word of God for us. Our prejudices suit us just fine. Our familiar sins are like family, and you're not against family, are you? Why should we change, be transformed? We like our middle of the road way in the middle of middle-class middle-America. Oh, yes the Pharisees, who we love to hate and look down upon, are our friends. So, don't ask us to have convictions, or worse, to act on them. And no matter how many times our Lord and the prophets preached repentance, leave that topic alone. We're sick of it; we've outgrown it."
Repent. You have not outgrown it. Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, for the hour of salvation is upon us and no man knows when his last hour comes. Repent, dear friends, while it is day, before the night comes when no man can work. Confess your sins. Acknowledge your wretchedness. Be emptied, that you might be filled. Throw yourself upon the sure and certain, the promised and absolute, mercy of the Almighty God. Doubt not, but believe. Look to Him and find healing, restoration, revival, and rest. Turn to Him for forgiveness by grace.
Here's the truth, my friends: The Christian life is hard. You've heard me say that before. Our problem is that we have bought into the lie that it is easy. It is as though we believe that when we are brought into the Christian faith, we are issued some Eternal Membership Card which we can put in our wallets and never have to worry about our eternal salvation again. I can just picture the card: "Heaven Express†written across the top. The membership date would be the date you were baptized (or, for Americanized "evangelicals,†the date when you made the decision to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior). The expiration date would say: Never. You just put that card in your wallet and you're good to go. We could even make one of those "What's in your wallet?†commercials. Does an eternity in Paradise sound good to you? Would you like to live forever without any worries or struggles, but in total bliss? Well, get your "Heaven Express†card today. It comes with great benefits; there are no membership fees; no payments to be made. Your "Heaven Express†card comes with the benefit of never having to do anything ever again. You just put the card in your wallet and your eternal salvation is one worry you'll never have again. "Heaven Express†- eternal security. What's in your wallet?
I've said it before and I'll say it again and I'll keep on saying it, because it is an important message, especially as we embark today on the holiest week of the Church Year: We have heard that we are saved by "faith alone†for so long, especially we Lutherans, that we've actually come to believe, and sadly so, that faith is alone, as if faith is just some intellectual agreement we've made with God, as if saying the words, "I believe in Jesus†is like putting that imaginary "Heaven Express†card in our wallets and never having to worry about our salvation again. Friends, this is not faith. Faith is never alone. Faith is a living, active thing. You don't get faith; you live faith. And, living the Christian faith is hard; it's a struggle. It's not easy to love those who hate you. It's not easy to pick up your cross and follow Jesus. It's not easy to crucify your flesh. It's not easy to put aside your own will and to submit to God's will. It's a struggle. It's a battle. It's a life, not a thing. Faith lives and breathes; faith does.
Faith is what St. Paul describes in Romans 7 as he talks about the battle raging within him. Those things he wants to do, he doesn't do them, and those things he doesn't want to do, he does. But, he doesn't give in. He doesn't throw in the towel. He battles. He struggles. And, even though he fails, he gives thanks to God for Jesus Christ, for through faith in him, his failures, his sins, they are washed away.
This, dear friends, is the Christian faith. It's a struggle, a battle, a knock-down, drag-out fight. It's a life of daily repentance and faith in Christ. Repentance and faith, by the way, are synonymous. They are not two separate things, as if you can say well I've done that whole repentance thing and now I have faith. No, faith is a life of continuous repentance. And here's the other truth that so many people do not understand today: You want to grow in your Christian faith? Get in touch with your sins. Examine yourselves. The more you realize how sinful you are, the more you'll recognize your need for a Savior. The more you realize that a Savior has been given to you, the more you will be empowered by that Gospel to struggle against your sins.
I know that sounds backwards and even funny to some people, but that's the way of the cross, dear friends. And, as we embark on Holy Week, this is the very struggle we see played out before us in dramatic fashion. This, dear friends, is the essence of the Christian faith. Our Lord and Savior goes willingly and knowingly into His holy city not to be some earthly king, not to be some glorious politician or prophet, but to be a Savior. He goes in to die. He goes in to shed His Blood for your sins. He goes in because He's passionate about you. That's why we call it the Passion of the Christ, for the Passion of the Christ is not only about His suffering for you, but it's also about what motivates Him to suffer for you. And that, dear friends, is His great love - love that we cannot even get close to imagining in this world. It's a love so great, so deep, that it is willing to drink down your failures, your sins - all of them - and even experience Hell, so that you don't have to. That, dear friends, is the essence of the Christian faith.
We can't go back in time 2000 years and stand before the foot of the Cross and behold our salvation taking place. But, He comes to us. The same Lord who died on that Cross comes to gift us with the salvation He won for us, to fill us with the very Blood that He shed for us by means of the Chalice in the Holy Supper. And, dear friends, this - this wonderful, awesome, mysterious Meal we are about to receive - this is the strength and preservation you need to live the Christian life. Let this be your source of strength. Believe it, repent, and trust in Jesus, knowing that He will accomplish His will through you. Lord, grant us this faith now and always, and especially as we embark on the holiest week of the Church Year. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Now the peace of God that passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, unto life everlasting. Amen.