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A sermon is a manner of oral communication and therefore words and sentence structure/order would be added, altered, or deleted at the moment of delivery. + In Nomine Jesu + The Rev. Evan Gaerther Today we lift high the cross of Jesus Christ. Our service has intermingled the reading of the Passion according to St. John the Evangelist with the singing of verses from the hymn “Lift High the Cross.” This juxtaposition in our worship between hearing the betrayal, arrest, denial, questioning, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus with the singing of verses of this triumphant hymn is purposeful. Good Friday is a day for meditation upon Christ on the cross. This day is one of mixed emotion. We are triumphant in knowing the love of our God for us is so great. We are also terrorized by the cost of this love. The prophet Isaiah wrote about the sufferings of the servant of God saying, “I have chastised him for the transgressions of my people.” It is terrifying to realize that it is God’s very own Son, the light of the world, the Word of God made flesh, who suffers. The more you consider the cost of this love the more you will be appropriately frightened. The cross with a suffering Christ on it is important for us to look upon. Martin Luther in a pamphlet that was widely distributed during the Reformation wrote, “You must get this through your head and not doubt that you are the one who is torturing Christ thus, for your sins have surely wrought this….When you see the nails piercing Christ’s hands, you can be certain that it is your work. When you behold his crown of thorns, you may rest assured that these are your evil thoughts….For every nail that pierces Christ, more than one hundred thousand should in justice pierce you, yes, they should prick you forever and ever more painfully!” These harsh words are to be a reminder in our meditation upon the cross that the love of God is truly and magnificently revealed through Jesus dying on the cross. For some there may be questions about whether a crucifix, that is a cross with Christ upon it, or an empty cross is a better symbol for Christianity. The explanation given by some for an empty cross is that it is a symbol of the resurrection; Jesus Christ is risen from the dead no longer on the cross. But the cross would be empty whether Christ was no longer in the tomb or still in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb. The empty cross and the crucifix both should be symbols of the suffering and death our Savior which undertook on account of our sins. Many people feel a bit unsettled at the sight of a crucifix. But we should nevertheless not attempt to escape the cost of God’s love. The power and center of our faith is Christ on the cross suffering and Christ no longer in the tomb victorious. The crucifix is a great aid for helping to focus our devotional thoughts on the truths of God’s Word. In the suffering of Christ we discover the true judgment that we deserve. The one who is not terrified by the suffering endured by Christ and so led to knowledge of self should be truly fearful of the judgment that is to be. I don’t know if we do enough of this type of self-examination that leads to terror. Sure we may recognize our sinfulness, but to take the next step and recognize the suffering we deserve from God on account of our sin. That is a step that can only truly be undertaken by meditating upon the cross and suffering our savior experiences because of our sin. Contemplation upon God’s suffering does more for a person’s faith than a daily reading of the psalms or constant prayer. Because it is at the passion of Christ that we are brought to the point of seeing the depth and weight and meat of sin and at the same time seeing the depth and weight and meat of God’s love. One response to witnessing the suffering of Christ is to be driven to do better and try to work our way out of feeling guilty and responsible. The cross brings about guilt but we try to relieve that guilt by resolving to do better. But such an attempt has not yet truly grasped the true terror of God’s son dying upon the cross. Because if such a punishment was escapable through our own personal sorrow and striving to do better then the ultimate sacrifice of God’s own son would have been unnecessary. We would simply preach repentance and good conduct. We preach Christ and him crucified. It is upon Christ we must through our sin and judgment and guilt. We must throw it out of our conscience and place it in those nails. We must push our sin upon the brow of Christ as the crown of thorns pierces his forehead. We must witness our sin and suffering upon Christ. If we allow sin to remain in our conscience we will never escape it. We do not need to hold back from throwing our sin upon Christ on the cross. When you see a crucifix, not only meditate upon the suffering your sin brings to Christ, but remember it is his desire to carry that sin to death. Lift high the cross of Christ the crucified. Sin cannot remain on Christ. He overcomes it in the resurrection. Sin is swallowed up. Sin has no victory in Christ. St. Paul declares, “Christ died for our sin and rose for our justification.” Christ on the cross makes our sin known, visible, painfully clear, but thus it is also brought to light and destroyed as the glory of God is revealed in the empty tomb. Throwing our sin upon the suffering of Christ is to find release from our sin and vain attempts to escape the judgment our sins deserve. Instead of being bound to do good to repay the suffering of Christ, we are free to live because Christ has been bound in our place. Witness in the crucifix of our Lord not an obligation but freedom given. Freedom from all that is deserved, freedom to live. Soli Deo Gloria -->> Home |