April 15th, 2022 SUNDAY MESSAGE
JOIN US AT 6 PM TODAY!
Transcription Notes:
As we fix our eyes on the cross, we fix our eyes on a symbol! A token, object, or picture that represents something else and gives us meaning behind the obvious depiction.
…BUT symbols can:
LOSE their meaning or CHANGE meanings over time.
The CONTEXT of the symbol could have dramatic variations.
It can even be hijacked or APPROPRIATE for new purposes.
Think about the use of the hashtag: “#” it’s actually called an “octothorpe” and it had a different purpose!
Keith Houston, in his book, “Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other Typographical Marks”
It’s literally a creation of fast, lazy handwriting.
You see, before the internet, it was called the “Pound Symbol” and evolved from a shorthand writing of the letters “lb” which is the Roman designation meaning Libra Pondo - it’s a measuring symbol!
<PICTURE>
lb => lb (line for contraction)
lb (quickly) => #
Now we use it to mean: Pound, Number symbol, a Sharp in musical notation, and others!
Then social media began and the “Pound” symbol was both
common enough on a keyboard but
uncommon enough in usage
that it was the perfect symbol to add to a word or short phrase to make it more searchable.
We can start a hashtag today for one purpose BUT searchability is driven by popularity so it can even be hijacked by others for their own use.
Why did I give you a history lesson on this symbol?!?! Because this night, in particular, is FILLED with symbols whose meanings can be LOST, CHANGED, or be APPROPRIATED.
The most poignant being a CROSS It’s a symbol with a VERY simple structure.
Two lines crossing each other…that’s it!
…and we see it all the time. We are used to them! They are:
On churches
Used as wall art,
on jewelry,
and even on t-shirts!
Remember that it was originally an execution tool. That was also used as a symbol to threaten:
There was a point where the road to Rome was lined with 6,000 crucified rebels to state a message.
Brian Zahnd writes: “This was how Rome dealt with threats to their interests. This event as much as any established crucifixion as the symbol of Roman ruthlessness when it came to suppressing their enemies…It was a threat to any travelers that this could be their fate if they didn’t abide by their rules.”
We have seen it
placed on shields to justify bloody crusades
It has been burned in lawns to create fear,
Even more recently, it has been used to justify insurgencies at our capitol.
Tonight, as we sit and reflect on the cross, I want to consider ALL of what it REALLY means, so that we respond appropriately to the cross.
In order to get there, we may have to FIGHT the familiarity so we don’t allow it to become a background object amidst bunnies & candy.
We may have to reframe our context so that we, too, don’t use it for our own means.
Turn to Matthew 27, starting in verse 11 We start our reading with an exchange between two authority figures: Pilate and Jesus.
Their dialogue gives us a glimpse of the unseen. Listen as this plays out with Jesus standing before Pilate…
Matthew 27:11 says:
11 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“YOU have said so,” Jesus replied.
12 When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” 14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.
Notice two things that Mathews wants us to see:
FIRST, is the interplay with the offices and titles of authority: “Governor” and “King of Kings.”
This sets up a contrast playing out between the two.
SECOND, is that Pilate is amazed that Jesus REFUSES to give an account on His own behalf or give a rebuttal for the accusations being made against him. He simply WON’T play along!
As the narrative moves forward, Pilate, and his wife, seem to sympathize with Jesus but Pilate can’t just let this go!
One commentator stated: “In addition to the religious reasons of the scribes and Pharisees, the Romans wanted Jesus killed because of political concerns. The Roman government did not tolerate rebellion against the empire.” which is what the title “King” would infer!
SO, even as Pilate tries to persuade the crowd to let Jesus go (as was the tradition) they choose to release another man because the people are dead set on killing Jesus shouting over and over: “Crucify him!”
WE’LL pick back up in Verse 23 as Pilate tries to reason with the crowd. It says…
“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” A symbolic cleansing of his own conscience. He passes the responsibility to them…a responsibility which they FULLY accept. Verse 25 says:
25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”
26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. 32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.
If you’re a follower of Jesus, this is such a difficult thing to stand and just watch.
Jesus is a powerful person and, when you encounter powerful people,
they are able to make things happen - they have authority.
When they shout commands people listen
You might think: “Jesus stop this from happening!”
We see the commanding power of Pontius Pilate:
who has the praetorian guard at his disposal, and
forces a bystander to help carry the cross.
But, if you’re looking closely, there is ANOTHER kind of power taking place. Because…
Although, even with a concerted effort, Pilate is not able to sway the crowds’ decision.
While Pilate has the power to command violence he cannot command mercy or a change of heart.
VERSE 33:
33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is Jesus, the king of the jews.
38 Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”
Can you see their appeal? They are measuring him against their own view of power! Their expectations! If you are as powerful as you said, then exercise it!
“Destroy the temple if you can.”
Show us your power Jesus!!
“Get yourself down off that cross.”
SHOW US YOUR POWER!
Verse 41 continues…
41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
The Jewish leader mock him with a similar theme:
Show us your miraculous saving abilities now!
Help yourself!
Act like a King.
Act like a “SON OF GOD”
Show us your power!
It’s like the only thing the Jews, Romans, and even the thieves agree on is that this man is NOT what REAL power looks like. He is weak, he is power-LESS, after all, we are watching him DIE!!
Picking up in Verse 50:
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At that moment (LISTEN TO THIS!!) at THAT MOMENT…the curtain of the temple was TORN in two from TOP TO BOTTOM. The EARTH SHOOK, the ROCKS SPLIT 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
You see, all along the way, there is a mocking invitation given to Jesus to wield worldly power and sit on the throne of the empire:
“Jesus Speak up and defend yourself!”
He was handed a scepter, crowned, and robed.
He was goaded to save himself, if he could,
To Destroy the temple
To Come off the cross
He was placed with a man on his left and a man on his right just like a king enthroned -
the same position of honor James and John were asking to hold!
Whether in mockery or through the pleading cries of His followers, “Take control Jesus, fight back, do something to extend the great arm of your power!!!”
But Jesus remains silent, denies the game of thrones taking place. He refuses to meet violence with violence. He righteously RESISTS it all but, make no mistake, that does not mean Jesus has not extended power!!
How do we know? Because there were clues along the way wherein we see his Majesty revealed:
Jesus CHOOSES to sit in quiet embrace of what he has been put on earth to do.
Luke 22:34 tells us, as they are all collectively mocking him on the cross, Jesus proclaims forgiveness over his offenders saying,“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
In the midst of torment, Jesus invites a thief into paradise
Jesus life of empowering others surrounds him, in the last moments of his life with the men and women who love him.
Without saying a command, and with much to lose, they CHOOSE to be at His side!!
Instead of saving Himself, Jesus Love compels him to stay on the cross resulting with the door of salvation being opened to all.
…and THERE IS A COSMIC RESPONSE:
the dividing curtain in the temple splits bc it recognizes the authority of the great high priest
Creation quakes and Rocks split open bc it recognizes the authority of their creator
There is plenty of power being represented through the cross!
Here is what I want you to see…and what I’ve tried to point out to you as I’ve read:
This is NOT simply a conflict of
Trial
Sentence
Execution
This is…
a conflict of cosmic orders!
This is a conflict of POWER DESIGNS!!
This is a conflict of THRONES, and a conflict of CROWNS…
which take VERY different pathways in
establishing,
maintaining, and
wielding authority!
The crown that Jesus wears is SO incredibly different than the one the world wants him to wear and the authorities of His time, even his own disciples don’t seem to fully recognize it! This is why Paul says: “...the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”
Notice that he doesn’t DENY power or DEMONIZE it, the cross itself, REDEFINES power for those who are willing to accept it!
We need that last part because I think the allure of earthly power drives US to question Jesus’ definition of POWER today:
How can being put on trial unfairly, being beaten, being put to death cruelly, being CRUCIFIED…
…how can it be strength?
How is that by any stretch of the imagination considered POWER?!
This feels like the opposite of Kingship
AND we live in a world that
cries out for VENGEANCE, and
turns to WAR for solutions
Tells us to take control
That threatens “don’t tread on me”
Tells us to exercise POWER
And we have to decide: “is the cross power or is it foolishness?”
Can we recognize the power that our King wielded - do we even WANT to recognize it - in order that we would do the same?
Don’t forget, there are those who DO know the POWER of the cross. Jesus’ experience is not unfamiliar to the quartet of the vulnerable: orphan, widow, foreigner, and poor!
They know the pain of unfair treatment.
The mocking voice of those in power
The insults….perhaps being beaten as well
Those who are meek and those who mourn
The persecuted
They know the prayerful cries “where are you God? I need you.” because they know their need.
In fact, it was TO these, that Jesus proclaimed power saing, at the sermon on the mount, you will inherit the earth, the Kingdom of God is YOURS so “Rejoice and be glad! because great is your reward in heaven”
The story of the Cross is POWER those who have suffered and offers comfort because they see that Christ is a shepherd who KNOWS their suffering.
The cross is solidarity for those oppressed: James Cone writes “The gospel of Jesus is not a rational concept to be explained in a theory of salvation, but a story about God’s presence in Jesus’ solidarity with the oppressed, which led to his death on the cross. What is redemptive is the faith that God snatches victory out of defeat, life out of death, and hope out of despair.”
As we close I want you to see that the CROSS CHANGES EVERYTHING!! <Video from Passion>
The CROSS IS POWER because if the death of Jesus can be used for good, it proves that everything meant for evil can be turned as well.
The SYMBOL OF THE Cross has been appropriated by Jesus Himself because He took a symbol of death (if you have eyes to see and ears to hear) and he turned it into A SYMBOL OF POWER, Hope, Peace, redemption LIFE, LOVE and TRANSFORMATION!
This is the kind of power that transforms hearts from the inside out & changes everything about the WORLD….
What was meant for the assassination of the King
became an invitation for us all into His Kingdom.
Tonight's RESPONSE IS SIMPLE…will you come to cross?
So we look to the cross as a symbol of power and life giving change.
Jesus’ display of power on the cross was so effective that it changed not just the symbol bu
But we can be sure God will wrest all misuses of the Cross and use it for Good because he did it first and we know that devastatingly good events of friday lead to Sunday.
COMMUNION:
(1 COR. 11:23B-26)
“The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
PRAYER REQUESTS:
We are hosting prayer team meetings for both the congregation at large and individuals to sign up for individual prayer.
SUGGESTIONS FOR WORSHIP:
“Praise & Worship” Spotify playlist and “Praise & Worship” YouTube playlist (slightly different from each other), both of diverse music that are being constantly updated!
Bethel Music :
Bethel Music’s hours of live music YouTube Playlist, also being constantly updated
Bethel provides chords to most (if not all) of their songs here (just have to register email, but free!)
Live worship moments from the Upper Room YouTube Playlist
Journal writing! (I’m a writer too, so sometimes creative writing and writing my thoughts to God is my form of worship.)
Declare and worship with truth by singing and praying scriptures.
WORSHIP NIGHT! Dedicate a night to worship with friends and family, your house church or neighbors, those who need prayer, love worship, or just enjoy music through a video chat platform like Zoom. You can have one person leading at a time (switching off to whoever else wants to lead) while others sing along, pray, or prophesy, etc.
Serving your community, both online, in person, or both, is a great way to worship God, from spreading encouragement and God’s Word online to physically serving food to others. If you are able to go out and serve, click here for opportunities.
COMMISSIONING:
As Jesus said in John 20:21,
"Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Go, be the Church!
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen.