Sunday of the Passion-Palm Sunday: " Death must come before Life"

 Sunday of the Passion-Palm Sunday  " Death must come before Life"

Mark 14-15:47;  Philippians 2:5-11

"ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who, of thy tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility; Mercifully grant, that we may both follow the example of his patience, and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." 1928 Book of Common Prayer

 

"Death must come before life" is the sermon title. " Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you."  John 16:7

John 12:24

“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”

In agriculture in producing wheat this is the truth.  It is also the truth in the Christian life.  Our old nature of sin and destruction fights against this idea.  But the Scripture says, " for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live."  Romans 8:13

So the point is in our introduction that death and dying are something we all need , in this life and in the life to come.  We die to ourselves that we may live eternally with God in this world, and in the life to come. 

---how does this fit?  Let our ideas and thoughts die in the presence of others that we may listen and believe that they have something to contribute. It may be that our ideas may be good, but their thinking is necessary as well.  This goes against our flesh and against the grain.

In our Gospel today we have characters that reflect this acceptance and those who don't. It is for us in our lives as well: " …the way you know you are doing your job correctly is that it costs you a part of your own soul. Even with the best self-care practices, the job of any caring professional—be it a nurse or doctor or social worker or teacher or chaplain—comes at a steep price. It costs you to care. Caring…is an occupational hazard.

—From Good Enough by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie"

1. The high priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.  Mark 14:55 -56 " For many bare false witness against Jesus to put him to death, but their witness agreed not together."

The High Priest asks Jesus , " Are you the Christ, Son of the Blessed"  And Jesus said, " I am" 14:62

Incredible brutality follows as they "began to spit on him...and to buffet him" 

This is the world of the unbeliever who denies the Christ and blasphemes the Son of God.  

2. Peter denies His Lord.14:  66-72

All of his denials can be summed up by " And when he thought thereon, he wept."  v. 72

3. Jesus before Pilate 15:1-15

Pilate is an example of one who lacked the courage of his convictions...He tried to please the rulers and the people. He could have acquitted Jesus at once.

4. The Crucifixion 15:16-41

Jesus cries out on the Cross, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

Jesus is insulted by being crucified between two robbers...and crowds mock Him, " He saved others; Himself he cannot save."  15:31

The Soldier when Jesus dies gets it, " Truly this man was the Son of God." 15:39

5. The Burial 15:42-47

Secret discipleship is seen when Joseph of Aritmathea give him a place of burial in his family tomb.

“I LOVED my life. Everything I had achieved was what I wanted. I loved my job, my fiancé, my family, my friends and my dog, and the house we were going to buy and the future we were making for ourselves,” Thackray wrote.

“I chose not to mourn the life I was losing despite being so devastated, but to instead enjoy every moment I had left.”

She worked as a people administrator for an advertising agency in Leeds, England, describing herself as “very healthy and active” until she was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a cancer that forms in the bile ducts, in July 2023.

Even though her life was never the same again, she wrote, she chose to focus on everyone and everything she loved.

“We can’t control what happens to us, (but) we can control how we react,” Thackray added.

“You should enjoy the little things in life and cherish every moment! Romanticise your life! Do whatever makes you happy and don’t let anyone take the joy of life away from you.”

She finished the letter with a message to her fiancé: "Go enjoy your life now, you deserve it."

The 25-year-old was the most enthusiastic and cheerful person, Liz Reynolds, her manager at 26 Agency wrote when announcing her death. The company is fundraising for St Gemma’s hospice in Leeds in her memory.

 We conclude this Palm Sunday by remembering that again our point is that death is necessary for life to happen.  We see it all around in this springtide and in passiontide.  " It is in accord with His purpose to show that the mighty Servant, the Son of God,who dies with kingly courage, is buried with stately dignity, in the tomb of a ruler."  Charles Erdman, The Gospel of Mark.