C, Resurrection of our Lord, Easter Sunday - 1 Corinthians 15:22–26 "Nailed to Jesus"

1 Corinthians 15:22–26 (ESV) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.  But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.  Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.  For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.  The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

The proclamation of Jesus Christ does one of two things!  It causes belief or it causes unbelief!  For the person who believes, knows they are a sinner and freely accepts what Jesus does for them. 

But one who doesn’t believe, rejects his work, for whatever reason, and continues on being his enemy.

The criminals crucified on the cross paint a good picture of humanity and their acceptance or rejection of Jesus.  Jesus as friend or foe!

In the gospels there seems to be a discrepancy over how the two criminals treat Jesus.  In Matthew and Mark’s Gospel accounts, both the criminals revile Jesus, along with everyone else.  These two accounts demonstrate Jesus’ complete humiliation, but in Luke we hear differently. 

Luke’s Gospel says, “One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, ‘Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!’  But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.’  And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’  And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” (Luke 23:39–43 ESV)

Modern day scholarship, focusing on exact detail, might assume one view to be wrong.  However, the criminals and Jesus hung there for a period of time.  I would expect if I was hanging on a cross, I would say and do anything to get off it and be relieved of pain.  So too the criminals hanging there, hearing the jeers of those standing around making fun would have railed at him too!  Not in disbelief that he would not save himself though!  But they railed him to save himself in the hope they too would be rescued.  But they are not rescued, and nor does Jesus save himself.

Both men crucified beside Jesus are both criminals.  Both are there because they were caught in their crime.  Both do not want to die but live.  But both know they will die.

It’s at this point I get a picture in my head, of the Industry Superannuation advertisement, where one puts their future in the advertised super and holds their hands in that diamond box shape as they ascend up an escalator.  The picture represents their superannuation profits rising faster than the other who doesn’t use the advertised super.

In the same way, the one criminal, who has been invested only in himself, has a lucid moment, and scalds the other crucified criminal still reviling Jesus.  Instead of holding up a shape of a diamond box, he holds up Jesus and puts his death into Jesus hands.  Perhaps instead of making a diamond box with his hands,  in his heart he makes the shape of his Saviour’s cross and says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  From little things big things grow, so the jingle in the advert goes.  So, from a glimmer of faith, Jesus causes big things to happen to the guilty criminal, saying, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Imagine here today, that we are there that first Sunday Easter morning.  We see the crosses now empty on Calvary.  The tomb is empty, it’s the first day of the week.  Jesus has died, Jesus has risen.  But what of the two criminals?  How did their investments pay off?

They both now exist outside of time.  One experienced Jesus as he descended into and passed through hell on the Sabbath, knowing forever and smarting that he missed having a Saviour by “that much”.

The other criminal has ascended hand in hand, with his Saviour, the firstfruits of heaven, with Abel, the first human to die, and with everyone since, who trusts in God’s Saviour.

Are you there with them at the ascension?  Or have you seen the backside of Jesus, as he has departed hell forever, and you now live in eternal separation from God?  The itches of pleasure you placed your trust in, now eternally nailed to you as festering forever sores, but still itching without relief.

The two criminals on the cross are a perfect picture for humanity.  Like the criminals we are all eternally guilty as enemies.  Like the criminals we will have our guilt nailed out for all to see as God sees it now.  Like the criminals we can do absolutely nothing to remove the guilt of our sins and the guilt from its reality.  But like the one criminal we can appeal to one who can save us.

This criminal came to know he was nailed beside a king.  He was nailed up beside the King of Kings, the King of Heaven.  He reviled this king yet still entered the Paradise of Heaven.  He was a sinner but was saved by a Saviour.  He turned to Jesus, from being a foe, to being a friend.  He now worships God in heaven for his salvation! 

But in heaven, there is only one who still bears the scars of the cross, and everyone worships him, our Lord and Saviour, who bears these healed wounds.  The criminal no longer bears the scars of his nails, that is, his sin, since he now glorifies God with a risen and glorified body.

You too will have all your scars of sin removed forever.  Like the criminal, you will have the blood of the Lamb wash you clean, and you will enter paradise to worship God the Father, Jesus Christ, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, in all their oneness and glory.

But for now, as we wait in time, you remain nailed on your cross!  So, carry your cross, and like the guilty criminal, look to Jesus on his cross.  Like the criminal, you too are guilty, like the criminal you too will die, but like the criminal you too will receive the sentence of eternal life.  You are in Paradise with him today! 

O the sweet joy this sentence gives, to know my Redeemer lives on this day of sweet, sweet, resurrection victory.  Amen.

B, Pentecost 21 Proper 24 - Mark 10:42-45 "Victoriously Conquered"

 

Mark 10:42–45 (ESV) And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,  and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The sons of Zebedee ask the Son of Man to give them seats of power in heaven.  But Jesus doesn’t have the authority to grant James and John their wish.  Yet he promises they will drink the cup the cup Jesus drinks and be baptised with the baptism Jesus will endure at the cross; namely suffering and death.

All believers endure suffering and the death of self during this life which ends in physical death.  Imagine how James and John would have been corrupted if Jesus had granted them their wish before his work was done on the cross.  If Jesus gave them eternal life and position in heaven through their request, why would they need Jesus’ death on the cross?

And although not asking first, what about the other ten disciples?  What about us too?  Jesus takes the wish of James and John as well as the resentfulness the other ten disciples, along with their displeasure they hadn’t asked first, and turns their perception of power upside down. 

Jesus doesn’t give victory to James and John through their request, nor does he fuel the indignation of the other ten by giving James and John the positions which they want.  Instead, he repeats what he told the twelve when they were arguing about who would be the greatest.  This is recorded back in Mark chapter nine.

“And they (Jesus and the disciples) came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?”  But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.  And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:33–35 ESV)

Now, Jesus teaches the same thing yet again. Once more, he puts servanthood before James and John, and the rest of the twelve, but now takes the picture of servanthood and adds the language of slavery and being unbound from bondage.

He says, “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant,  and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:44-45 ESV)

Jesus says those who would be first must be bound or tied up for everyone, and the Son of man came to die on the cross to untie or unbind many.  There was no way Jesus had authority to give the sons of Zebedee the positions for which they asked. His sole duty was to be the first to serve them, untie and save them, so they might later drink the same cup as Jesus and be baptised with the same baptism as the Son of Man.

This is the victory Jesus sought to give James and John, together with the other ten disciples.  Jesus pursued freeing and saving all people through his death and resurrection, not just James and John or the twelve disciples. 

Through the cross, Jesus is victorious.  He conquered the sting of sin and death at the cross when it appeared as though he was conquered. He unbound humanity from sin, when through our sin he appeared to be bound and finished at the cross. 

But he was not finished!  Rather, the curse of sin was finished! For those who trust Jesus, we welcome him unbinding us through the giving of his life as a ransom for ours. Believing forgiven sinners are truly thankful for this.

Many years after James and John asked Jesus to sit beside him in his glory.  Long after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension.  And years after Herod killed James, the brother of John, (Acts 12:2) Jesus speaks to John and he records what he says to the seventh church in Asia Minor.

He says to the church in Laodicea, “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne”. (Revelation 3:21ESV)

Now that Jesus has conquered through the cross, he invites John and the hearers of Jesus’ revelation to John, to sit with him on his throne. You and I are also the hearers of Jesus’ revelation to John. Therefore, we are invited to sit with Jesus on his throne!

How can this be that we are invited to sit with Jesus?

Just as Jesus did for James and John and the other disciples, he has done for us and all who trust in him.   He has served and saves us through the cross by giving us his life as a ransom.  Jesus has become the slave of all and has freed us from the bondage of slavery.

So, if we too have conquered because we have been conquered in Jesus’ death and resurrection, what does Jesus teach us about our victory, today?  What does being conquered look like for you and me?

Just as Jesus conquered in his death, we conquer too because we have been conquered for eternal life with Jesus.  And we continue to be conquered!  In his revelation to John, he tells us what remaining in this victory does for us. 

“To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7b ESV)

“The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.” (Revelation 2:11b ESV)

“To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.” (Revelation 2:17b ESV)

Jesus says, “I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations… And I will give him the morning star.” (Revelation 2:16,26,28 ESV)

“The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” (Revelation 3:5 ESV)

“The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.” (Revelation 3:12 ESV)

Jesus said to John and he promises you and me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.  The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” (Revelation 21:6–7 ESV)

Because you and I have conquered and have such a wonderful gift waiting to be revealed for us in eternity, let us hold fast to Jesus Christ our first love.

Let us endure suffering for Jesus’ sake, with our eyes fixed firmly on the prise he has in store for us. 

Let us cast off the idols that promise a false salvation, enslave us, and bind us.  But rather, let us use God’s gift of wealth to shrewdly serve others to the glory of Jesus our true wealth. 

May we allow the Holy Spirit to subdue our human spirit, so our faith is strengthened in these days. And because we have such a wonderful gift in store for us, let us seek every opportunity to share the wealth of this eternal gift with others. 

Let us pray that, as we come to a deeper knowledge of our salvation in Jesus, we don’t become apathetic to the  growing familiarity of Jesus’ servanthood amongst us.

And may the Holy Spirit kindle the fires of Jesus’ love in our hearts, hindering us from becoming lukewarm in our willingness to serve others as Jesus served and continues to serve us. Amen.