Sermon for October 18th

Imagine what it must have been like to have watched Jesus die on the cross. Imagine what it must have been like to have been one of his followers, or one of his disciples, who thought he had died for nothing. Imagine that you were someone who had hoped that he was the Messiah, the holy one of Israel who was supposed to lead his people to victory over their enemies only to see him dead and then buried just like anyone else. Imagine sitting in a room with others like you, scared that all of your work had been pointless.

But now, Jesus, the one you thought was your Messiah, the one you thought had died, was standing in front of you. And now, Jesus the one you had hoped would save you, was breaking bread with you. And now, he was forgiving you for your doubts and explaining how it had all come to pass. And now he was calling upon you to tell the story of what happened. And now he was sending you to forgive sins. How would you explain it all? How could you talk about what happened? To someone who had never believed? To someone who didn’t care?

These men and women were Jews. They followed the Torah. They knew the stories. They sang the psalms. The knew God’s promises. But they had always expected the Messiah to be a great warrior king. Someone who would lead them out of despair and inspire them to acts of greatness! To sit upon his right and his left, as the disciples James and John put it, like generals in the seats of honor beside the great king! How was anyone going to understand that this dead man, now living, was actually the Messiah? How were they to believe it?

I certainly don’t know how, or when, but these Jews began to see that the truth of Jesus’ words and the power of his life shouldn’t have been such a surprise to anyone. Jesus was written about everywhere—throughout the psalms and the prophets and engraved onto every Jewish person’s heart there was the promise of a Messiah who would suffer and die and, somehow, be called to victory. And knowing all this not only told them something new about this Jesus that they had followed, but they began to understand why he had to die and for what he had come to do.

A reading from the prophet Isaiah, written 600 years before Jesus ever stepped into this world in his humanity, “Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed, All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

When the Devil drives people into despair and they seek the solace of suicide to quench the sadness in their hearts—no one is with them, but Jesus alone. When our loved ones lie still, only barely breathing, so weak that we listen with trepidation for every heartbeat and are surprised when, almost suddenly, we don’t hear the breathing come again, Jesus is the only one weak enough, strong enough, to lie still with them and cover them completely with his peace. Jesus died because we are too weak to live sometimes. That’s what the Bible means by infirmities, our weakness . . . the fact that in the primes of lives we realize how fragile our bodies can be. Star basketball players die of heart arrhythmias just out of high school. Healthy babies still die of SIDS even with watchful parents in the very next room. Jesus came for them too. “Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases.” But is that all he came for? To comfort us with a little chicken soup for the soul in the troubles of the world? Not hardly.

Isaiah continues, “Yet, we accounted him stricken, struck down by God and afflicted.” Good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people. We know that this is true. But when bad things happen to people we think are bad, we figure they deserved it. We applaud God for his justice! Jesus was killed for blasphemy. He called himself God and so everyone figured he got what was coming to him: death. “Come down from the cross and prove that we are wrong about you! Show us that you are God and come down!” the crowds screamed. And when he did not fly away free, “We accounted him stricken, struck down by God and afflicted.” And we agreed with God’s judgment. The disciples agreed with God’s judgment. They abandoned their master on that cross. Why did Jesus have to die? The disciples, the Jews and the Romans thought that they knew why.

But in the passage from Isaiah, the truth comes out. Imagine what it must have been like to see the living Jesus when you had believed he was forsaken by God forever. Imagine what it must have been like to realize why did Jesus really had to die? “He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on HIM the iniquity of us all.” Why did Jesus have to die?

This morning little Caylyn was baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Why? So that she might know that no matter what happens in her life. No matter how far she goes astray. No matter how often she might go her own way against the wishes of her parents, or her family, or the world or the church, that the Lord has laid all of her sins on Jesus Christ. That’s why he had to die: for her. For those of you who have been baptized, you have also been washed in the blood of this lamb—in the cleansing waters of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ. Because that’s why he had to die: so that you might be saved. The Lord has laid on Jesus the sins of us all.

Do you find joy or sadness in these verses? Do you hear accusation or grace? I hope that you hear both. Why did Jesus have to die for you? Can you imagine why you might stand unworthy before God? If not, and if someone doesn’t tell you, then Jesus’ death will mean nothing for you. But if you stand unworthy and miserable before God, then Jesus’ death means everything. Your hope, your life and your salvation. Only sinners can be assured they have a Savior.

We have a little sign outside our doors that say, “All are welcome”. But let’s be honest about who, exactly, we are talking about. Only sinners are welcome here and no one else. Only hypocrites. Only people with problems. Only the helpless and the hopeless. Only the proud and self-righteous. Only the unwelcome. Only people without a chance. Only gossips and liars; murderers and adulterers. Only sinners are welcome here because they are the only ones who will ever find grace here. This place is NOT for perfect people. Not for the righteous. Not for the healthy. That’s why I know you are all welcome here. That’s why ALL are welcome, so that you and they can be forgiven. For if anyone could save themselves, then Jesus died for nothing. Until you hear that you have no hope you will not hear the joy of your salvation. Sinners are the only ones for whom Jesus Christ has died. So if you know the dread of death, know that eternal life is yours.

Why did Jesus have to die? Because you and I would have it no other way. Just like Jesus’ disciples, you and I will not take responsibility for our sins, and so, Jesus just up and died for them. He was killed because he tried to forgive. If you see blood on your hands, take heart, for it is the blood of Jesus Christ who died on the cross and has washed you clean in the eyes of God.

This is the most inspirational story that I can tell you. That your life and your joy is hidden with Christ in God. It’s more than chicken soup for the soul folks—it’s a feast of life and it is for you. And you don’t have to imagine it after all—your sin is really dead and you are now alive to God by faith in Jesus Christ alone. The faith that comes from believing that Jesus actually had something to die for—and he died for someone like you. Thanks be to God! Amen.