Sixth Sunday in Lent,
Passion Sunday,
Sermon: Weldon D. Nisly
TITLE: Let this mind be in you: Jesus’ passion & the church’s vision
Or “Turning toward the cross”
THEME: “Here is an astonishing thing!” “….to the cross!”
TEXTS: Matthew 21: 1-11 Jesus’ entry into
Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29 This is the day the Lord has made
Isaiah 50: 4-7 God is my help
Matthew 26: 14-46 Jesus’ Last Supper & Gethsemane encounters
Philippians 2: 5-11 Jesus humbled and obedient…to the cross
Isaiah 50: 4-7 “God is my help…speak a word that will rouse them…”
Loving and forgiving God, the passion and death of your own Jesus brought new life to sinful people. Give us this day again new life and renewed vision as your forgiving and loving people. Move us beyond our reluctance, console us in our sorrow, and help us daily to begin anew through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one Triune God forever. Amen.
The prophet Isaiah calls it our “covenant with death”
(Isaiah 15?) Or as one commentator says,
“Our ‘covenant with death’ is alive and kicking” (Kari Jo Verhulst, Sojourners,
March-April 2002, p. 48).
“Death” stares us in the face again this Sunday on our journey with Jesus, as it did last Sunday. It is the Sunday that confronts us irreversibly with Jesus taking us “to the cross.”
At the beginning of worship, we entered into God’s Presence to worship God on a high holy note in “triumphal procession” with Jesus this Palm Sunday. Yet our worship rightly continues on with Jesus entering this Holy Week of Jesus’ passion. We come this week to the climax of a long Lenten journey with Jesus, who will not let us go from triumphal entry to the resurrection without going through the cross.
Each Sunday in Lent we have been told, “Here is an
astonishing thing!” Each week we
have been astonished in our journey with Jesus. Letting the whole Lenten theme become one
tells us how far we have come with Jesus “Through the wilderness of
temptation…to new birth…to the living spring…to the light…to new life…to the
cross.”
But we are not ready to be astonished by the cross. By Jesus, Yes! But not by the cross. In this reluctance we are sounding like disciples in that first Holy Week.
SMC sermon – WDNisly – 3/24/02 – p. 2
Like the first disciples we are Jesus’ disciples and we live this experience with Jesus this Holy Week. There is a rhythm and struggle to the disciples’ journey. Matthew’s Gospel tells us this story.
** While the Passover is being prepared, Judas prepares to betray Jesus. Sensing
betrayal and desertion from his disciples, nevertheless, Jesus celebrates the Last
Supper with them saying, “This is my body, this is my blood…for you.”
** Next they go to the Mount of Olives where Jesus tells the disciples, “You will
all become deserters.” Peter insists, “Though all become deserters because of
you, I will not desert you.” Jesus sadly tells Peter, “Before the cock crows, you
will deny me three times.” Peter insists vehemently, “‘Even though I must die, I
will not deny you.’ And so said all the disciples.” (26:31-35).
** Then Jesus takes his disciples to Gethsemane, and tells them to wait while he
goes to pray. Jesus returns to find them sleeping and said to Peter, “can’t you stay
awake for even this hour? Stay awake and pray…The spirit is willing but the
flesh is weak” (26: 41).
How true for disciples today. Jesus’ words are for us today. “Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”
Finally the hour comes and Jesus tells the disciples, “See the hour is at hand…” (26:45).
See, this Holy Week hour is at hand. As a church we enter this Holy Week together to continue on with Jesus. Our questions and struggle, like those first disciples are:
** Will we betray Jesus and flee in this hour or will we stay and go to the cross?
** Will we fall asleep at the kairos time or will we watch and pray with Jesus?
It is not surprising that we are reluctant to enter this Holy Week with Jesus going to the cross. Nevertheless, we gain courage and our answer from the great biblical hymn of the early church whom Paul told to “Let the same mind be in you that is in Christ Jesus.”
Read Philippians 2: 5-11….
To “Let the same mind be in you that is in Christ Jesus” is more than something to think about. It is more than the work of our mind. In modern times Thomas Merton and others have refocused our attention on our heart. Henri Nouwen called us to “let our head rest upon our hearts” and listen to God who has come to us in Jesus Christ.
SMC sermon – WDNisly – 3/24/02 – p. 3
A prophetic word from the Old Testament will also help us “put on the mind of Christ” and go “to the cross” with Jesus. This prophetic word is from the third servant song of the prophet Isaiah.
Read Isaiah 50: 4-7….
Isaiah, even today, prophetically assures us that “God is our help….speaking a word that will rouse us.” For “God wakens our ear…so that we do not turn back.” The task is to “sustain the weary with a word.”
God is speaking a vision to rouse -- Jesus’ passion & SMC’s vision
These are words and warnings for us today in Lent entering Holy Week. They are prophetic words for us as we continue our life as a church and as we continue our
Vision II process.
** We receive the Lord’s Supper with Jesus.
** We stay awake and pray with Jesus.
** We go to the cross with Jesus.
Any other vision will put us asleep. Any other vision will cause us to betray Jesus. Any other vision will desert Jesus. Any other vision will deny Jesus. We cannot escape the cross.
As we enter this Holy Week with Jesus may our hearts and minds be upon Jesus so that as we journey on we are truly an awakened and praying church daring to go where Jesus leads. “Let the same mind be in [us] that is in Christ Jesus.” Only in that will our vision as a church be part of God’s vision and reign.
Alicia Beckford Wassink has very ably led our Vision II process thus far. In a few days she will leave for a few months of work in Jamaica. With the biblical word to center us and Holy Week before us, we give Alicia this opportunity to share where God is leading us in the Vision process.
Alicia share reflections on how God is working in the Vision II process
….related to how she has sensed God at work in SMC & in this Vision II process.
…related to Jesus call to “Let the same mind be in you that is in Christ Jesus.”