Amazing grace! How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see. (Verse 1)
We are entering the liturgical season of Easter. For the next seven Sundays we look at proofs for why we believe “the Lord is risen” and lives and is active in our lives today. Christians believe Jesus resurrected, meaning death could not hold him. I like to think of it as Jesus showing us that we can walk “through the valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil” as we follow him. Another way of saying that is that Jesus paid the debt so I no longer am held eternally by death. I can face tomorrow because he lives.
John Newton wrote the famous hymn “Amazing Grace” in 1772, about 250 years ago. The hymn is not presenting theology, how to understand religion, but tells the story of Newton’s journey of faith and what Easter meant to him and how it changed his life. It is a more modern testimony to the truth of the resurrection that we can find similar truth in our lives. So we will focus on this favorite hymn.
At age 11 Newton went to sea with his father and became a well know British swashbuckler, leading a rough and vulgar life. He eventually became the captain of a slave ship. His life changed after he nearly drowns, married a pious Mary Catlett, and read Thomas ‘ Kempis’ “Imitation of Christ.” In 1754 he gave up slave trade after a near-death experience on the slave ship Greyhound that was caught in a storm at sea. After 11 days, Newton was too exhausted and had himself tied to the helm to try and help navigate the storm. He had time to think about his life that seemed as hopelessly lost as the ship he was tied to. He found a New Testament and read Luke 11:13, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him.” March 21, 1748, Newton turned to God and asked for this gift. Later in his diary on March 21, 1805 he wrote, “Not well able to write; but I endeavor to observe the return of this day with humiliation, prayer, and praise.” Newton worked with the great abolitionist, William Wilberforce, to end slavery. He became a minister and wrote the text of Amazing Grace to tell his story.
As we journey through this Easter season, let’s take time to reflect on our lives, events that have impacted our lives and perhaps changed our direction, on those special people that have come into our life and enriched us and on books that have impacted your life. Easter is about “amazing grace,” those special moments when God has reached into our lives and we know that he lives and walks with us, even through the valley of the shadow of death. Blessings as you reflect!
We come to the end of Lent. Many went to church yesterday and heard again the story of the crucifixion of Jesus on an old rugged cross. It is a heavy service as we pray for the needs of our beloved friends, neighbors, our world and ourselves. As a child I remember hearing many times that one of the most favorite Christian hymns was “On a Hill Far Away” also known as “The Old Rugged Cross.” It was written by George Bennard of Albion, Michigan in 1912. His early life was grounded in the Salvation Army and he identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church. After a rough time in his life when he spent much time pondering his faith, he wrote,
“I saw the Christ of the cross as if I were seeing John 3:16 leave the printed page, take form and act out the meaning of redemption. The more I contemplated these truths the more convinced I became that the cross was far more than just a religious symbol but rather the very heart of the gospel.”
The resulting hymn has been a favorite of many.
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
Enjoy listening to this story summarized again in song.
Friday of Holy Week starts on Thursday evening as Jesus and the disciples leave the Upper Room and walk to the Garden of Gethsemane. John does not record Jesus praying in the Garden probably in the wee hours of Friday morning. In John 14 – 18, John records all the comforting Jesus gives to his followers on the way to Gethsemane. Jesus is going to prepare a place for us. He is the vine giving us life. The world does not understand Jesus and will not understand us. Jesus’ prays for his followers, even us.
Our readings this evening pick up at John 18 with Jesus’ arrest in the Garden, trial, and crucifixion. Interwoven in the narrative is the honest account of Peter’s denials, political posturing, popularity reversals, and horrific suffering. The journey this evening reflects the reality of life in the earthly kingdom that is being redeemed by our Savior. Peter is forgiven, God is a just judge, family is bigger than biological with deep connecting bonds, and someday pain and suffering will end. Covid-19 will not win, corrupt politicians will not rule forever, hatred, prejudice, and racism will be defeated by faith, hope, grace and love. The Holy Spirit will guide, counsel and intercede for us. We depart silently, this evening, grieving the suffering we are walking through.
Biblical text will be followed by a hymn. I will share a link to YouTube but I realize you must click on the link or copy it into your address bar on your devise. Ads may come up but be patient, click the “skip ads” arrow when it shows. Enjoy the music and then click the red circle in the left top corner to end YouTube and return to your script. I hope that works. Welcome to a virtual Good Friday service, walking with Jesus to and through the cross experience.
Let us begin in the Name of the Father, +the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen. I invite you to light a candle that we will blow out at the end of the service as we are not at the altar to strip it.
First Reading: Isaiah 52:13–53:12
13See, my servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. 14Just as there were many who were astonished at him —so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of mortals— 15so he shall startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them they shall see, and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate. 53:1Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account. 4Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people. 9They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the Lord shall prosper. 11Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Psalm: Psalm 22
1My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? 2My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer; by night, but I find no rest. 3Yet you are the Holy One, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4Our ancestors put their trust in you, they trusted, and you rescued them. 5They cried out to you and were delivered; they trusted in you and were not put to shame. 6But as for me, I am a worm and not human, scorned by all and despised by the people. 7All who see me laugh me to scorn; they curl their lips; they shake their heads. 8“Trust in the Lord; let the Lord deliver; let God rescue him if God so delights in him.” 9Yet you are the one who drew me forth from the womb, and kept me safe on my mother’s breast. 10I have been entrusted to you ever since I was born; you were my God when I was still in my mother’s womb. 11Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is no one to help. 12Many young bulls encircle me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me. 13They open wide their jaws at me, like a slashing and roaring lion. 14I am poured out like water; all my bones are out of joint; my heart within my breast is melting wax. 15My strength is dried up like a potsherd; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; and you have laid me in the dust of death. 16Packs of dogs close me in, a band of evildoers circles round me; they pierce my hands and my feet. 17I can count all my bones while they stare at me and gloat. 18They divide my garments among them; for my clothing, they cast lots. 19But you, O Lord, be not far away; O my help, hasten to my aid. 20Deliver me from the sword, my life from the power of the dog. 21Save me from the | lion’s mouth! From the horns of wild bulls you have rescued me. 22I will declare your name to my people; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you. 23You who fear the Lord, give praise! All you of Jacob’s line, give glory. Stand in awe of the Lord, all you off-spring of Israel. 24For the Lord does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty; neither is the Lord‘s face hidden from them; but when they cry out, the Lord hears them. 25From you comes my praise in the great assembly; I will perform my vows in the sight of those who fear the Lord. 26The poor shall eat and be satisfied, Let those who seek the Lord give praise! May your hearts live forever! 27All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; all the families of nations shall bow before God. 28For dominion belongs to the Lord, who rules over the nations. 29Indeed, all who sleep in the earth shall bow down in worship; all who go down to the dust, though they be dead, shall kneel before the Lord. 30Their descendants shall serve the Lord, whom they shall proclaim to generations to come. 31They shall proclaim God’s deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying to them, “The Lord has acted!”
Second Reading: Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
14Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 5:7In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 9and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.
Gospel: John 18:1–19:42
1[Jesus] went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered.2Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” 5They answered, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus replied, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they stepped back and fell to the ground. 7Again he asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” 9This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken, “I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me.”
Hymn: Jesus, Name Above All Names
(Naida Hearn from Palmerston North, New Zealand went to her “wash house” to do the laundry one day in 1970. She carried a list of names for Jesus she had written down for years. She put the list on the window sill and opened her mouth and started singing, inspired by the Holy Spirit. She left the laundry and went to the house and wrote down the song and returned to do her laundry. The song spread in New Zealand and came to the USA to bless many.)
John 18: 10-14
10Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. 11Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?” 12So the soldiers, their officer, and the Jewish police arrested Jesus and bound him. 13First they took him to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one person die for the people.
Spoken Hymn: “May the Mind of Christ, my Savior”
May the mind of Christ, my Saviour, Live in me from day to day, By His love and power controlling All I do and say.
May the Word of God dwell richly In my heart from hour to hour, So that all may see I triumph Only through His power.
May the peace of God my Father Rule my life in everything, That I may be calm to comfort Sick and sorrowing.
May I run the race before me
Strong and brave to face the foe
Looking only onto Jesus
As I onward go.
(We know little about Kate Wilkinson, author of this hymn who was a member of the Church of England and involved in the Keswick Deeper Life Movement. The song has inspired people facing difficult times like Covid-19. The song was published in 1925 when she was 66 years old. Christ said, “Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me.”)
John 18:15-32
15Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16but Peter was standing outside at the gate. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the gate, and brought Peter in. 17The woman said to Peter, “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing around it and warming themselves. Peter also was standing with them and warming himself. 19Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. 20Jesus answered, “I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. 21Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said.” 22When he had said this, one of the police standing nearby struck Jesus on the face, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” 23Jesus answered, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” 24Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. 25Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, “You are not also one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” 27Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed. 28Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. 29So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30They answered, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” 31Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.” The Jews replied, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death.” 32(This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.)
(This hymn by Charlotte Elliot, 1789-1871, is said to have influenced more people than any sermon ever preached. At age 30 she became an invalid for the rest of her 82 years. An Swiss evangelist, visiting her challenged her that she could come to Jesus just as she was, distressed, an invalid. Peter denied Christ. Witnesses lied. Politics. We are all guilty of falling short and come to this story, just as we are. These words inspired this famous hymn and she was later considered one of the finest English hymn writers.)
John 18:33-19:12
33Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” 35Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” 36Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” 37Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” 38Pilate asked him, “What is truth?”
After he (Pilate) had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no case against him. 39But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 40They shouted in reply, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a bandit. 19:1Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. 3They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face. 4Pilate went out again and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him.” 5So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” 6When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him.” 7The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God.” 8Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. 9He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10Pilate therefore said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” 11Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” 12From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor.”
Spoken Hymn: This is My Father’s World
This is my father’s world And to my listening ears All nature sings, and round me rings The music of the spheres
This is my father’s world Oh, let me never forget That though the wrong seems oft so strong God is the ruler yet.
This is my father’s world Why should my heart be sad? The Lord is king, let the heavens sing
God is the ruler yet.
(Maltbie Davenoirt Babcock, a minister in Lockport, New York, at the turn of the Twentieth Century and author of these words, would walk beside Lake Ontario. He always left home telling his wife, “I’m going out to see my Father’s world. What is truth and where to find it? God is ultimately kings in all circumstances.)
13When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge’s bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. 14Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” 15They cried out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but the emperor.” 16Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus; 17and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. 18There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. 19Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. 21Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’ ” 22Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” 23When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. 24So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill what the scripture says, “They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.” 25And that is what the soldiers did. Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” 27Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. 28After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty.” 29A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. 30When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
(This is one of the most famous African American songs that arose from their communal experience of slavery and was first published in 1899 in William E. Barton’s Old Plantation Songs in the section “Recent Negro Melodies.” Originally it had four stanzas: 1) Were you there when they crucified my Lord?; 2) …when they nailed him to the cross?; 3) …when they pierced him in the side?; 4) …when the sun refused to shine. The United Methodist Hymnal, along with many other songbooks, includes a fifth: “…when they laid him in the tomb.” The series of questions are meant to function as a prompt to memories that go beyond recall to bring incorporation into our present lives and to that become part of our story.)
31Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. 32Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. 35(He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.) 36These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, “None of his bones shall be broken.” 37And again another passage of scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.” 38After 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. 39Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. 40They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. 41Now 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. 42And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
1The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: 2This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. 3Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. 4If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. [5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. 7They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. 10You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. ] 11This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord. 12For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. 13The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 14This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.
1I love the Lord, who has heard my voice, and listened to my supplication, 2for the Lord has given ear to me whenever I called. 12How shall I repay the Lord for all the good things God has done for me? 13I will lift the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. 14I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all God’s people. 15Precious in your sight, O Lord, is the death of your servants. 16O Lord, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your handmaid; you have freed me |from my bonds. 17I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call upon the name of the Lord. 18I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all God’s people, 19in the courts of the Lord‘s house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
23For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
CHILDREN’S SERMON: Place a bowl, a candle and a spoon in front on the alter. Turn to your neighbor and share why we might need a bowl of water, a candle, and a spoon.
Let us pray. Lord may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Gospel: John 13:1-10
1Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper 3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” 9Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.”
Sermon Part 1 – A Bowl of Water
The evening opens with Jesus humbling himself and washing the feet of the disciples. Peter objects. Jesus finally responds, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Without the washing away of sin, our relationships with God and people are dysfunctional. Why are forgiveness and daily repentance so important?
FOREGIVENESS – A Bowl of Water
Walter Wangerin Jr wrote a book, As For Me and My House, that I have given to all my children when they married. While about marriage, it really is talking about all our relationships with others. His seventh chapter is on forgiveness. Conflict with others is unavoidable. But how to resolve it is the dilemma. For relationship to be restored we must do the work of forgiveness – for our sake. Whether the pain is with someone deceased, someone distant, or with someone close, broken relationships drain us. It often takes a miracle to find reconciliation, God washing our feet.
Wangerin shares: “Forgiveness is not just forgetting, it is not automatically healed by time, is not a change of heart on our part, and certainly is not just turning to the other and saying as our parent demanded “I forgive you,” Forgiveness requires a realistic evaluation; reflection to decide if our pride was hurt or if there was truly a sin committed. Realistically name it. Next, breathe deep and remember our own forgiveness. I sacrifice my rights as “forgiveness places the burden of reconciliation upon the one who suffered the mess (pg.99)” Then if possible the offended goes to the other and in clear words followed by actions that live out forgiveness, seeks forgiveness.
Jesus comes to the disciples, even Judas whom he knew would betray him, and washes their feet. He knew they needed to be washed to start the evening. Their feet were dirty. We start our service with confession and forgiveness in this truth. Let us know act out that process. Take your fingers, as if they have water you want to shake off and I invite you now to shake water on your feet, or wash your hands, or dab your wet fingers marking a cross on your forehead to symbolize washing your thoughts, or on your ears to symbolize what you listen to, or on your lips for better speech, or even perhaps on your heart for grudges harbored. Tonight we have the opportunity to get real with God about places in our lives that we know we need Him to wash.
Let us pray with king David:
C: “Have mercy on me, O God; according to your unfailing love, according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. (Psm 51:1-4)”
Hymn: Let Us Break Bread Together
Gospel: Matthew 26: 26-29
26 While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
SERMON – Part 2 – Light the candle
Lighting the Passover candles was one of the two duties for women in the Old Testament. Our feet are washed and we now sit at the table with Jesus.
PRESENCE – A Candle
This evening let us put aside questions of Communion being a sacrament or an institution of remembrance. It is a ritual of intensification. We are living out our faith, as we understand it. We do not need to discuss bread, unleavened or potato chips, or of wine, fermented or unfermented. Tonight we are in the presence of Jesus who has just washed our feet, and now invites us to commune with him.
Jesus assures us that whether we are battling for our lives with Covid-19, overwhelmed by anxiety for the unseen danger that threatens our loved ones, or just plain bored from the continual catastrophic news on TV, Jesus has covenanted with us to be present. Please hear these verses.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me (Psm. 23:4)”
“He will not let your foot slip – he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121: 3,4)”
10 do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)”
The Great Commission ends with, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Mt 28: 20)”
Congregation: Lord, thank you for your presence represented by this bread and wine of communion to strengthen us for our journey. May we remember your sacrifice and presence with us. Amen.
Hymn: Amazing Grace on You
Gospel: John 13: 31b-35
31b“Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Sermon — Part 3 – A Spoon
We come to the end of Maundy Thursday and Jesus starts to turn his face to the Garden of Gethsemane, his trial and Calvary. The meal is finished and he turns to the disciples and gives them a “new commandment.” Maundy is the word from which mandate or command comes. 34I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” This is not a “new” command in the sense of being different. This is the summary of the law and the prophets.
During Lent we have encountered Jesus as “the Word,” “the light of the world,” the one who came to his creation and gave to all who received him the power to become children of God. We have followed Jesus as he dealt with Nicodemus and did the impossible, helped him to see he could be born again. Jesus gave security and new life to the woman at the well with a past, rejected by men but seen in the light of God’s love. Jesus literally created eyes so that the man born blind could see the truth of his deity better than those who had physical sight. Jesus now says the heart of the law is not rules to keep God happy like the laws of the kingdom of this world but the heart of the kingdom of heaven is love, God’s love for all.
Take the spoon in your hand. It can be held out to reach for and drink the water of forgiveness. It can also be turned upside down so that the water poured over the spoon flows outward to those around. Jesus in these words is telling us to take that spoon and dip it into the bowl of water to give water to others, to plants in your house, to wash hands or feet, to bless others and to live as forgiven people.
Jesus in this “new” command reframes the Ten Commandments, not to give a different commandment but to give us a new perspective and way of understanding the Ten Commandments. Have “no other gods before me,” is “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength.” Do not swear is now to use God’s name to express love and blessing, not for cursing. We go to church to refocus on what is important and eternal. We honor family and commitments. We don’t take life, we give life. We don’t objectify the other for our lusts but honor and respect others’ bodies. We don’t take but we give to others. We don’t tear down others but build them up. We rejoice in other’s accomplishments. Matthew has Jesus answering the question about the greatest commandment in the Law by saying, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.”
As we look at the bowl of water that represents how we have been forgiven, as we look at the candle and remember that Jesus is with us all the time, we also look at the spoon as a symbol of how we now relate to others. Are we treating others, as we would hope Jesus is treating us. He touched the leper; he didn’t toss the rock at the woman caught in adultery. He talked with an adulterous woman at the well. He cast out demons. He chose disciples from ordinary people like you and me. Now he summarizes the Law, not in the 600 plus rules that must be followed to please God, but in a simple command to love as Jesus loves, who gave his life for others.
A bowl of water, A candle, A spoon
Tonight we bow in the tremendous knowledge that we are forgiven, we are guardians of God’s light, and we are the spoon to feed others God’s love.
Let the people of God say, “Amen, Thank you, Lord”
We are pondering the last story Matthew reports Jesus telling before Matthew turns to the narrative of events of this week that culminated in the cross for Jesus. Jesus tells his disciples that some day he will return as “Son of Man” and separate the nations into sheep and goats. Jesus will say to the sheep, the ones of his flock “enter into the kingdom of heaven. The goats, the ones who did not want him as their shepherd, will be told to depart. Both groups will be told that the criterion is how they treated others, the needy. The sheep can’t remember when they did well. “When did we see you needy?” The goats can’t remember when they missed an opportunity to help the needy. “When did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?” The sheep openly admit they don’t deserve grace. The goats argue that they do deserve to be rewarded. The goats miss the point. Grace is receiving what we do not deserve when we don’t expect it.
The journey of Lent is facing our mortality, our fallibility our need for Jesus to heal our vision, open our ears, and raise us from the dead. We come to realize that we may perform good deeds every now and then but not always. We are not perfect. We are sinful people living in a sinful world and we need a savior. We need grace. We need the cross. We deserve death and Jesus is going to show us how grace defeats evil. Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday when we will receive a new commandment, a new mandate. Today let us ponder if we think we have dealt with the needy as we ought or if we indeed need grace and forgiveness. I suspect our prayer this week is to bow our head and confess as we did on Ash Wednesday, from ashes we came and to ashes we go – Lord have mercy. Blessings as you pray.
When I was a young adult, “end times” was a big audience captivator. Book series were written and movies produced but in fact we did not know “the plan.” Just how the eventualities of life will unfold is a mystery as probably it should be. As Jesus deals with the growing tension in Jerusalem, he does tell a story about what eternal justice will look like. He tells us that the “Son of Man” will return and so claims his return with a title that relates him to humanity. He does not identify as the “Son of God,” but does say he will return with his angels to introduce eternity. Next he shares that humanity will be divided not by ethnicity or language or wealth or talent. Sheep will be divided from goats.
When we arrived in Kenya, I could not tell the difference between a sheep and a goat. They are not common on the Los Angeles freeway. My toddler son learned to tell a Land Rover from a Jeep, long before I did. The indigenous people could not tell my very different twin boys apart even though one was blond and blue eyed and the other was brunette and brown eyed. But then I had to learn how to differentiate the African tribes. Shades of brown and black of hair differentiated people as well as facial structure. I doubt that Jesus is looking at people upon his return to see whether tails hung down like sheep, or stick up like goats. He will be able to see clearly who desires to live in his kingdom and who does not.
We will not be forced to act like something that is not true to our real selves. A sheep will not be made to bounce around like a goat and a goat will not be forced to put it’s head down and blindly follow a leader like a sheep. We will be separated according to the desires of our heart for who we want to be our “king.” I find that comforting. It is easy to think of the return of Jesus as a big judgment of our lives rather than the revelation of choices we have made and alliances that fit our story. We know it is the will of God that all would want to be in the Kingdom of Heaven but we will not be forced. Jesus will go to the cross and walk through death for all people but not people will want to follow him. Holy Week that started Palm Sunday with people waving branches and yelling “hosanna” will end with people yelling, “Crucify him.” Which crowd do we identify with?
Matthew now tells us three parables that Jesus shared right before the plot thickens that last week in Jerusalem. In one of them a man goes on a journey and leaves three servants in charge. Sounds like mom running out to the grocery store and having to leave the kids alone for a bit. What was to be a quick trip to the store became longer because of a flat tire, an emergency phone call from a relative, and purse forgotten in the car. It just got complicated, we might say. The man returns and the two elder children report that they have not only done what was expected but they also self initiated some projects. One mowed the grass unasked and the other did some of the ironing while watching TV. The third not only did not help out but also had nothing to show for what were “normally expected” tasks like setting the table for dinner. In the parable the two servants doubled what the man had entrusted with them and the third hid his talent for fear of the man. The man rewards the first two servants by saying,
“Well done, good and trustworthy slave;
you have been trustworthy in a few things,
I will put you in charge of many things;
enter into the joy of your master.” (verse 21, 23)
The parable is thought to refer to God entrusting us with talents and seeming to be on a journey but Jesus indicating he will return some day. For those who handle their talents well, be they few or many, compliments are given, “well done”, character noted, “trustworthy,” and rewards dispersed.
During the Lenten journey we have reflected on the many ways we fall short as we handle our talents. But, to fall short is not to say we did not try. The third servant did not try and fail, he did not even try and he blamed the man for being mean and unjust. The problem is not the failure, our sins, but it is our attitude and trust in God.
So let us think about being trustworthy. How would you describe someone who is trustworthy – worthy of your trust? Do we look for the others to do their best or do we demand perfection? I believe God is delighted when we give it our best shot because we love him. We are not perfect and one day we will meet him. Let’s pray we hear, “Well done!” Blessings.
We are coming to the end of the Lenten season. Next week is Passion Week when Christians celebrate with the crowds shouting “Halleluyah” as Jesus enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and we will cry by the end of the week after Maundy Thursday and Good Friday and the cross. The journey of Lent started with Ash Wednesday and the confession of our mortality, we come from dust and we go to dust. Humans are not eternal. During Lent we have walked with Jesus from the Mt. of Transfiguration to Mt. Calvary pondering ways we have not loved God with our whole heart and have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. Our laments as we ponder our mortality have been buffered by the journey that Jesus is making to give us immortality through him. The first hymn is a new group I heard this week, Celtic Thunder, and the closing hymn is the traditional Aaronic blessing sung by 300 churches in Ireland. Both are beautiful. Blessings as you prepare for next week.
Posted by srwantabee 
On the Way to Wonder 