One of the most beautiful buildings in the world is the cathedral in Milan, Italy. I had the good fortune to go there several years ago. Worshippers are welcomed by three magnificent doorways. Over one of the side doorways is a carving of a beautiful wreath of roses, and underneath are the words: “All which pleases is just for a moment.” Over the other side doorway is a sculpted cross with the words: “All that troubles is just for a moment.” But underneath the great central entrance leading to the main aisle is the inscription: “Only the eternal is important.” The message is clear – we should live with our eyes fixed on eternity. Let me ask you two questions: How much time do you spend worrying about the temporary? How much time do you spend worrying about your eternity? The only things that really matter are those things that will matter in 100 years. What matters in 100 years? The only thing that will matter in 100 years is Jesus. That leads us to our scripture lesson.
According to the Revised Common Lectionary, this Sunday is the Fifth Sunday in Lent. That means Easter is only two weeks away. The Gospel reading for this weekend is John 12:20-33. The story begins with a group of Greeks. It is a great way to begin a story. When I was a young, I was surrounded by a group of Greeks in school. They were great people, and they were all named Nick. In the Bible story we do not know their names, but we do know they wanted to see, or interview, Jesus. Their interest in Jesus leads us to believe they were God-fearing Greeks. The most assertive is a man named Philip. He is uncomfortable going to Jesus directly, so he goes to Andrew first. Perhaps, he knew him or heard of him. They were both from the town of Bethsaida. According to verse 22, Philip and Andrew together went to Jesus with Philip’s request.
We are never told if the Greeks ever got to talk to Jesus, but we are told the moment had come reveal his life’s purpose. Jesus cannot escape the painful truth; he is going to die! Jesus did not want to die nor was he surprised by his death. It was all part of the divine plan to save the world. The death of Jesus shows us the depth of God’s love. Comparing himself to a wheat kernel, he knew he must die, so others could live. His death would mean life for generations to come. We stand in the aftershock of Jesus’s death. Without the death of Jesus, there is no resurrection. Without the death of Jesus, there is no salvation. Without the death of Jesus, we have no hope of eternity. Never underestimate the death of Jesus, it changed everything. It is my experience people are uncomfortable with the death of Jesus. That is why good Christian people try to ignore Good Friday. No one wants to worship a dead savior.
That was one of my pet peeves in the ministry. Everyone enjoys Palm Sunday. It is a great day! Attendance is up and the weather in northern Ohio is improving. Everyone is in a good mood because everyone likes waving palms. The traditional scriptures are read, and a video is shown of Jesus entering the Golden City. Everyone is looking forward to the great resurrection day. Everyone enjoys Easter. It is a great day! The flowers are beautiful, the traditional hymns are sung, the traditional scripture is read, and the video is shown of the empty tomb. Everyone leaves happy because ham is waiting for them. (Who does not like ham?) Please do not misunderstand me. I have nothing against Palm Sunday or Easter. They are both great days, but there is so much more. Most miss the rich days of Holy Week. The crowds of Palm Sunday and Easter are replaced by a small group on Maundy Thursday and a smaller group on Good Friday. I hope that is not your story. I hope you do not just run from Palm Sunday to Easter. I hope you remember what Jesus did every day of Holy Week. Those days are important because they revolve around the death of Jesus. Do something different this year and remember what Jesus did for you each day of Holy Week.
Do you remember what Jesus did on Holy Monday? According to the Bible, two significant things happened on that day. The first event of Holy Monday was the cleansing of the Temple. It had nothing to do with fundraising to help some good cause within the life of the church, but it had everything to do with using the faith for personal gain. The Temple was a place of prayer, not profit. The church is a place of prayer, not profit. The second significant event of Holy Monday is the cursing of the fig tree. It was the only thing Jesus ever cursed. Like the bald eagle which symbolizes America, the fig tree symbolized Israel. The cursing of the fig tree was an act of judgement upon Israel. God was doing something new. Never forget what happened on Holy Monday!
Do you remember what Jesus did on Holy Tuesday? According to the Bible, the disciples saw the withered fig tree and were reminded they must be productive. Jesus went back to the Temple where he was challenged by the Pharisees and the Sadducees. It was also there that he taught about the Kingdom of God. Two great stories came from that day. He taught about paying taxes to Caesar and he noticed a widow’s slim donation. He also told the parable of the two sons, the parable of the tenants and others. Then, he went to Bethany, near Jerusalem, where he was anointed. He was being prepared for death. Never forget what happened on Holy Tuesday!
Do you remember what Jesus did on Holy Wednesday? Some call it Spy Wednesday. It was on that day the plan to trap Jesus was conceived. One of his own, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Some say he did it because he was greedy. Some say he did it because he had grown tired of being an outsider. He was the only non-Galilean of the twelve. Some say he did it to force Jesus’ hand – he never dreamed Jesus would not fight back. We do not really know why he did it, but he did it. In the end, Judas Iscariot regretted his betrayal and committed suicide. There is nothing else to say. Never forget what happened on Holy Wednesday!
Do you remember what Jesus did on Holy Thursday? We call it Maundy Thursday. That was the day Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, showing true servant leadership. Then, they observed the Seder. It was a meal with a message. Everything they ate and everything they drank reminded them of their ancestry. After all, they were God’s Chosen People. During the meal, Jesus changed the words and created a new memorial, holy communion. The bread is his body, and the wine is his blood. After the meal was over, Jesus comforted the disciples and went to the garden to pray. It was in the garden Jesus was arrested. Never forget what happened on Holy Thursday!
Do you remember what Jesus did on Holy Friday? We call it Good Friday. It was good for us, but bad for Jesus. Jesus had two trials. The first trial was in front of his own people. It was a “kangaroo” court. Jesus never had a chance. He was found guilty. They wanted to execute Jesus, but they lacked the legal authority. For this reason, they sent him to the Roman Governor, Pilate. He knew Jesus was innocent, but he feared the mob. The crowd rejected Jesus and accepted Barabbas, an insurrectionist. The order was given that Jesus must die. It was a public affair. It was a way of deterring crime. First came the whipping. Then came the crown of thorns. Each step came with ridicule. Finally came the cross, a Roman way to execute. Jesus was not tied to the cross; he was nailed to the cross. He was hung between two common criminals. In comparison to other executions on the cross, his death came quickly, and they put his body in a tomb. The sky grew dark, and the people wondered what would happen. His family and friends cried, because he was dead, and their dreams were gone. Never forget what happened on Holy Friday!
Do you remember what happened on Holy Saturday? Some call it, Silent Saturday. Others call it Black Saturday or Easter Eve. There is nothing to remember about that day because Jesus was dead. The people who loved Jesus, both family and friends, struggled with his death. Some of them were in shock. Some were in denial and some of them cried. Their great dreams of a bright future were over, Jesus was dead! How comfortable are you with the death of Jesus? You know what happened on Sunday. It is the worst kept secret in the history of the world. It is also the very foundation of our faith. It changed everything. Never forget what happened each day of Holy Week!
It became the tradition of my last church to go to the local cemetery to hold a Tenebrae service on Good Friday. It is our way to remember the death of Jesus. We were joined by other United Methodist congregations in the area. The truth be told, the group is always small. I really do not care, it is the right thing to do. The traditional scriptures are read, and the candles are extinguished. The service ended with the same words annually, May God have mercy on us because Christ died for us. I was always spiritually spent once the service was over. They reality of Christ’s death is hard for me to accept.
One year, on Easter morning one of the saints from my church wanted to talk to me about his experience at the cemetery. He had a bad experience. He could not hear because the woman next to him kept talking. He could not see because he sat in the back. He did not like his seat because it was uncomfortable. He did not like going to the cemetery because it reminded him of his own death. He did not like the music because it was too depressing. As he went through his list of complaints, I stayed quiet. When I finally got a word in, I said, “Good! If Christ hung on the cross for your sins for hours, then you can handle a few unpleasant minutes.” He responded a few seconds later, “I think you are right!”May we never forget Christ died for us! Reformed theologian Richard Allen Bodey (1930-2013) once said, “He drained the cup of God’s wrath bone dry, leaving not a drop for us.”
Russ Adams 