And afterward…Life

There is a great temptation when pastoring, or ministering to people in any fashion, to want to give the best spin on things; to keep it upbeat and positive. There is within many of us a fervent desire to tell everyone else that the problems we all face in life will be magically eradicated by the great sky genie who watches over us; as if this were the Gospel. It’s like saying: Not only do we not get eternally boiled alive in great big bugs bunny cauldrons or beaten with fiery red sticks—not only that—but we get all of the negative aspects of life poofed out of existence. Isn’t being a Christian just grand?

There’s just one problem with this desire for positivity and this utopian worldview: it’s delusional. The Gospel is much richer and deeper than that. You see, life is sometimes messy. It is unpredictable, weird, wonderful, sad, and absolutely glorious. You, beloved children of God, deserve the truth.

The Lord and His disciples are heading towards Jerusalem. Jesus is at the head of this procession and the state of mind of those who are traveling with Him was one of conflict and turmoil. Jerusalem was the place of several attempts on his life already. Some of his followers were stunned that He was striding boldly toward people who wanted Him dead. Others were terrified at the prospect. Perhaps they thought the ride was coming to an end. Perhaps they did not want their beloved Teacher to die. One thing is for certain: this being the third time Jesus had predicted His Passion, they had not yet gotten it.

I am constantly astonished at the depth of the love and goodness of our God who uses anything and everything to save us. Today, rather than allaying their fears and concerns about the future; rather than telling them that He’s going to make a detour away from Jerusalem and certain death, or that He’ll raise all the dead in Judea and they’ll all fight for His Kingdom, or any other comforting words that He’ll avoid death, He tells them precisely what is going to happen. He doesn’t sugar-coat anything. He says:

“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn him to death and deliver him to the Gentiles. They will scourge him, mock him, spit on him, and kill him. On the third day, he will rise again.”

A rosy picture, isn’t it? Imagine for a moment, if you are able, that a prophet of God, the holiest person you’ve ever met—someone who’s raised the dead, brought sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, strength of limb to the paralyzed, walked on water, calmed the storms, fed thousands with the contents of a boy’s sack lunch—and this one tells you the things Jesus has just told his followers. Not only does He tell you that people are trying to kill him, are going to kill him, but he’s so nonchalant about it, and boldly strides forward to meet it, and will not be dissuaded. I imagine there would be astonishment and fear. After all, if He cannot avoid death, the one who’d worked all these miracles, what hope have the rest of us? If the God of all does not escape betrayal, mocking, spitting and scourging, how can we escape them? Simply put: we don’t.

This is what I would like us to consider this morning. Christ knows the coming betrayals, the scourging, the mocking, the abuse, and the murder that is coming his way. But he also knows something that he is trying to get his disciples, and us, to see. Yes, these horrible things are coming—and will come, but it is not possible for the Author of Life to be held captive by fear and death. He is going to his voluntary, and life-creating, Passion willingly and confidently, knowing that he will come out on the other side. The disciples and followers get so caught up in the death part that they seemingly ignore, or can’t hear, the last bit, “On the third day, he will rise again.”

This is rather like us in our lives today. We sort of forget, or don’t pay attention to that last bit. Instead, we are consumed with the one irrefutable fact of our existence which is death in all its myriad forms. Certainly there is physical death, but there is also illness, separation, ending one mode of existence and entering another (for example, adolescents becoming adults, adults becoming seniors, students becoming professionals, and so on). Rejection, whether from a school, a job, or a beloved, is another form of death ubiquitous in our culture. The wonderful news that I would like to share today is that Christ does not save us from these things. No, He does not save us from these in the sense that he removes them from our lives. He is not the sky genie and we do not get three wishes. Rather, something far more significant occurs. He gives us life.

All of these things I have mentioned Christ has filled with himself. In the prayer of the anaphora we’ll pray in just a few moments, St Basil prays that Christ died and even entered hell that he might fill all things with himself. Think of this, beloved of God! Think of this. Christ has filled all things with himself which means that all things are filled with life. Life cannot be undone. It cannot be eradicated. Life cannot be defeated not even by death, the grave, or hell itself. Christ strides forward to Jerusalem as Life itself, knowing that the scourging he will fill with himself, the mocking, the spitting, the betrayal, the murder, the tomb, and hell will be filled with Life, and they will be rendered powerless. All things in your existence as a human person have been filled Christ who is Life. This Life, which has filled all things is given to you, shared with you. Life envelopes us, binds us to one another and to himself. Beloved of God, Life will always win. In our darkest moments, in those despairing moments, in great tragedy and loss, there is always the fullness of Life.

In joy or in mourning there is Life. In the day or night, there is Life. In acceptance or rejection, there is Life; in birth or burial, in love or hate, in abuse or nurture there is Life. And because Christ has filled all things with himself, you will come out of the other side of them. You may endure scourging, but you will be healed. You may be scorned and betrayed, but you will be comforted and affirmed. You may be rejected, but you will receive an inheritance from your Father; and you will most assuredly die, but you will rise again. You will win by Christ’s victory. You will live; always and forever, you will live.

This is the gift and Gospel of God. This is salvation. This is Life.