There they crucified him.
A notice fastened to the cross:
Jesus of Nazareth;
King of the Jews.
But the teachers cried, No!
Why not, the man who claimed this?
Pilate in reply:
What I have written,
I have written.
Later,
when everything finished,
and Scripture fulfilled,
Jesus said:
I thirst.
Receiving the drink,
It is finished.
With that,
he bowed his head
and gave up his spirit.
After John 19:16-22, 28-30
I love this story, especially since editing, some years ago, Conrad Gempf’s excellent book, Mealtime Habits of the Messiah. In my chapter on being Easter people in Finding Myself in Britain, I quote Conrad’s excellent engagement with this biblical passage:
I love how Conrad (an American living in Britain) opens up this story. Jesus, the king of the universe, is there with his friends, “smoking ’em a few kippers for breakfast.” He doesn’t condemn them; instead he does something surprising. (Conrad Gempf, Mealtime Habits of the Messiah [Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005], 18.)
What does he do? He asks them for some of their catch. They hadn’t caught any fish all night, but one word from him and the net overflows. And yet he says that they were the ones doing the catching.
How amazing is that.
The disciples are still stunned, hiding out behind locked doors, fearing for their lives. Jesus comes and stands among them, breathing his Spirit on them and bestowing to them his peace. We too can receive his breath of life this day, as we rejoice in the new life we receive from him. May we be Easter people whose song is “Alleluia!”
Stunned shock turns into joy when Mary wonders first where Jesus’ body is, and then when he speaks her name, she knows immediately it’s him. I love that – the instant recognition of the one who loves you most who speaks your name. And note Peter in true form, dashing ahead of John to burst into the tomb.
I pray that this day, you, like Mary, can say, “I have seen the Lord!”
On this most holy of days, I have to go straight to the crucifixion of Jesus and come back later to the wonderful Last Discourse. For on this day we remember the biggest sacrifice our Lord could have made – giving his very life that we might have new life. The story unrolls like a boulder gathering speed as it slams down a hill. At the end, we lay stunned and bruised, wondering what just happened.
Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. He prunes us that we’ll be more fruitful. Painful pruning, but for growth and flourishing. How is he pruning you? How are you growing?
Oh how I love these words of Jesus: “I and in my Father and you are in me and I am in you.” What a concept, that the three persons of the Trinity dwell in each other, and we dwell in them, and they in us. Utterly transforming. Mind-boggling. Humbling. Wonderful. On this day when Jesus taught from the Mount of Olives before returning to Bethany, might you not ponder this wonderful mystery?
We’ve made it to some of my very favorite parts of Scripture – the Last Discourse as it’s known, when Jesus prepares his friends for his death and resurrection. In these chapters (roughly 14 to 17), he promises the coming Advocate (the Holy Spirit) four times. He won’t be leaving them as orphans, for the Spirit will come to live in them and be with them. And as we see in today’s text, he goes to prepare a room for them – and for us – in his Father’s house. Amen! Come, Lord Jesus.
Not only does Judas betray Jesus, but he knows that Peter will too. How deep Jesus’ love, that he knew what was to come and yet submitted to the abuse and murder, all the while loving and forgiving.
Those who lead must serve. The messengers aren’t greater than those who send them. The servants aren’t higher than the master. May we serve and love as we live today.
