Passion Sunday
2 April 2023
Wesley Menke
On the cross Jesus said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
What kind of a father would kill his own son?
Was it God’s plan from the beginning of time to have his only son Jesus be crucified in order to forgive the sins of the people? Does this even make sense?
Imagine that somebody were to owe you money, and instead of asking them to pay you back, you made your child pay their debt? That wouldn’t be a very loving way to parent.
If God has the power to forgive sins, then why not just forgive them?
500 years ago Luther asked the same thing of the pope. If the pope has the power to forgive sins and allow people to go to heaven, why charge them money from indulgences or masses for the dead? Just free souls from purgatory out of fatherly love.
Jesus did not want to die like this, nor did he want to die at a young age. What if his death was not necessary for our sins to be forgiven? John was already forgiving sins by baptism at the Jordan River. Most Christians I know already feel that the crucifixion of Jesus was terribly sad and tragic. So why would we think God would devise such a plan?
So then how shall we understand the passion of Jesus?
We could consider Jesus’ crucifixion as a possible consequence for living out the gospel. It takes only the briefest studies of history to know that great spiritual leaders who follow the way of Jesus are often targeted with violent death. Consider Martin Luther King Jr., Oscar Romero, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and many others. Is there something about following Jesus that threatens established power?
Crucifixion was very commonly used by Rome to establish social control. If a person dared question or challenge their authority, they would make an example out of them. That is what they did to Jesus; and thousands and thousands and thousands of other people. Jesus had to have known that this would be a very likely possibility for him. Does that mean that he wanted it to happen? Does it mean that it was his plan?
Consider this. We don’t think the way of Jesus is suicide, do we? We don’t advocate or teach to run headlong into certain death, do we? Far from it! Time and time again Jesus avoided a premature death by retreating, traveling, and taking shelter. Remember that the devil actually tempted him to jump off the temple to cut short his earthly life. And Jesus said, “no.” When John the baptist got arrested, Jesus got out of there. When his hometown got mad at thim and tried to push him off a cliff, he slipped through the crowd. Jesus hustled to stay alive as long as possible. When it came down to it, however, given the choice between complying with the state to save his skin or being faithful to the truth of who he was: Jesus was faithful to the truth, to himself, and to God. He does not deny the truth to Pilate, but doubles down.
Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied. Matthew 27:11
Jesus was so faithful to himself, God, and us; that it cost him his life.
So what we celebrate and remember about Jesus’ passion is his dignity. He gently protests the brutality of the state with his own life. Each courageous breath that Jesus took was an act of defiance, and a disruptive act of creativity.
Did Jesus die for our sins? If the answer is, “yes,” then it means that we bear responsibility for his suffering. It also means that perhaps we could do something to prevent innocent suffering and death even still today. We might be centuries removed from the Roman Empire. But there are still innocent children who die today. Will we take responsibility to do something about it? Will we make our own plan?
Is there any good news for us that comes from the crucifixion of Jesus? To answer that question, we could ask another question. Did Jesus deserve to die on the cross?
If Jesus did not deserve to suffer and die; then perhaps you do not deserve to suffer and die.
What if this is part of the meaning of grace?
If we don’t deserve the goodness and blessing of life; then maybe we don’t deserve the suffering and pain of death either.
It’s a thought that could bring great relief to our troubled minds; and great purpose and direction to our numbered days. If we don’t deserve the suffering we endure, then perhaps we are free to try to do something about it. Maybe that’s exactly what Jesus made his life all about; and the life of discipleship to which we are called. Jesus’ passion; and our passion is a life well lived. Amen.
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