Not the kingdom of death - Walter Brueggemann

Christ is risen!
We give thanks for the gift of Easter
that runs beyond our explanations,
beyond our categories of reason,
even more, beyond the sinking sense of our own lives.
We know about the powers of death,
powers that persist among us,
powers that drive us from you, and
from our neighbor, and
from our best selves.
We know about the powers of fear and greed and anxiety,
and brutality and certitude.
powers before which we are helpless.
And then you... you at dawn, unquenched,
you in the darkness,
you on Saturday,
you who breaks the world to joy.
Yours is the kingdom... not the kingdom of death,
Yours is the power... not the power of death,
Yours is the glory... not the glory of death.
Yours... You... and we give thanks
for the newness beyond our achieving.
Amen.

View From Mount of Olives

(This photo was taken from the top of the Mount of Olives. Just beneath the cemetary is the Garden of Gethsemane.

Well Rested On Good Friday?

(Photo taken in the Garden of Gethsemane)


I woke up today well rested and with a strange feeling.

A strange feeling because I got 8 hours of sleep last night, a luxury Jesus was not afforded from Maundy Thursday on to Good Friday 2000 years ago. Last night, Jesus had the Passover meal with his disciples, sent Judas on his way, then headed to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray around 11:30pm. It's no coincidence that Gethsemane means "oil press". I was reading an article by Jurgen Moltmann in "Bread and Wine", and he pointed out that it was in the Garden that for the first time Jesus does not want to be alone with God. He seeks to be with his closest friends, and they keep falling asleep. They obviously don't understand the depth of struggle Jesus was going through.

Then he is betrayed with a kiss. Not just someone pointing him out and identifying him. Rather, an intimate kiss of one who knew him and his life well. This was the kiss of death, both for Judas and Jesus. I wonder if Judas could forget the look in Jesus' eyes as he approached him. Based off of Judas' suicide that followed, most likely he didn't. As they arrested Jesus, Peter fought back with a sword but Jesus would have no part in the violence. His closest companions ran off, leaving Jesus completely alone (like they had when he prayed). Jesus was led off by the soldiers, feeling the separation from his Father, as well as the betrayal of his friends.

By around 1:30am, He was led to Annas the former high priest as he began receive his intial beatings. He was then taken to Caiaphas, the current high priest and the Sanhedrin court, bloodied by more abuse. He was held prisoner for a couple hours at Caiaphas' palace, and I wonder if he got any sleep or if they had him hung up. They had another trial for Jesus, and decided to hand him over to the Roman government to be executed. The Roman governor Pilate found no guilt in Jesus, who handed him over to Herod Antipas, who quickly handed him back to Pilate because Jesus refused to answer questions. Pilate, in a hard place because he wanted to please the Jews, had Jesus beaten beyond recognition hoping that would appease the angry crowd. The Jews would settle for no less than death, and finally Pilate conceded and gave the orders to execute Jesus.

At this point around 8:30am, the mockery and torture grew in its scale. Fueled by the crowds, and endorsed by the government, Jesus had a crown of thorns beaten into his skull. By 9am, they had Jesus take up his cross (recognize that term?) and walk the road that led outside the city walls. By noon, he was naked and crucified between 2 thieves where all coming in and out of the city could see him. For 3 hours he endured some of the most intense agony man has ever felt. Between the nails hammered through his wrists and dislocated limbs, he couldn't even properly pull himself up on the cross to breathe full breaths. Finally, his lungs and body gave way and Life himself surrendered to death. The death that was mine. The death that was yours. The death that was ours.

That's why I have a strange feeling. I hope today I remember this violent day.

I'm not sure what else I can say, but thank you. We do not deserve such kindness and love.

"Beneath Thy Cross" - Christina Rossetti

Am I a stone, and not a sheep,
That I can stand, O Christ, beneath Thy cross,
To number drop by drop Thy Blood's slow loss,
And yet not weep?

Not so those women loved
Who with exceeding grief lamented Thee;
Not so fallen Peter weeping bitterly;
Not so the thief was moved;

Not so the Sun and Moon
Which hid their faces in a starless sky,
A horror of great darkness at broad noon -
I, only I.

Yet give not o'er,
But seek Thy sheep, true Shepherd of the flock;
Greater than Moses, turn and look once more
And smite a rock.

Approaching Holy Week

I feel a little distracted walking into Holy Week. I'd hope for a softness, an openness to feel the weight of the events that took place 2000 years ago, but that's not there for some reason. It might be my busy-ness, but I'm praying for fresh eyes and a raw heart. Practically I'm started a few things this morning to attempt to engage and opening myself.

One way was something Sam mentioned yesterday in his sermon. He called us to "meditate on the magnitude of the mercy of Christ on the cross." I don't do this nearly enough. To sit, pray, and think on the cross. Maybe find a passage that might speak on this and meditate on it. Pick a small passage and slowly reading and praying through it (look up the discipline of Lectio Divina). Take time this week to slow down, push pause, and be humbled by what you see. One way I try to do this is by writing songs based off the ideas or Scriptures I'm learning from. One I started today was based off of Romans 5:8.

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

What stood out wasn't just that God showed his love for us in Jesus, but that God shows (present tense) his love for us in Jesus. I need to slow down and ask God to remind me of his love seen in his Son's death.

Another way I've been trying to engage is by spending time reading through John Piper's "The Passion of Jesus Christ". He talks about 50 reasons why Christ died as seen in the New Testament. I read the first few today, and my heart began to feel some of the intensity of Jesus' death. The wrath we deserve, the love that he showed, the justice that was served on the cross.

What ways do you engage with Holy Week? Anything that you're doing new this year?