Characters around the cross reflection
“Who was Jesus?
He began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life.
Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water. Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest.
Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King.
Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons.
Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears.
Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world.
Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd.
Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death.”
The Power of Numbers...The Crowd
Mark 11:1-10 : When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, “Why are you doing this?” just say this, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.” ’ They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, ‘What are you doing, untying the colt?’ They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,
‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!’
Crowds play a tremendously important part in influencing events. There’s the great sports arenas with crowds driving on the home team, the great protest marches taken by thousands to make a stand against something or someone who is unjust, and then there are the crowds that surrounded Jesus. In this reading we don’t really know the size of the crowd, but the crowd were celebrating the arrival of the Messiah.
What do you think they were really thinking at this time ? What were the expectations ?
It’s easy to get taken in by a crowd – how should we as Christians stand out from a crowd ?
Mark 15:1-15 : As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ He answered him, ‘You say so.’ Then the chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate asked him again, ‘Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.’ But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.
Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. Then he answered them, ‘Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?’ For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate spoke to them again, ‘Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?’ They shouted back, ‘Crucify him!’ Pilate asked them, ‘Why, what evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Crucify him!’ So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.
This second reading takes us on a further journey of looking at crowds and their influence. This was a very different crowd from the one that greeted Jesus triumphantly into Jerusalem. This crowd were baying for blood. Many of the people would be different but what do you think may have led some of the people who had shouted for joy earlier to now turn on Jesus ?
This passage also brings in another important character as we think about the events of the cross. This is of course Pilate.
The Politics of Truth....Pilate
The part that Pilate played in the Cross of Jesus cannot be denied. Pilate was used to getting his own way, he was used to people cowering before him. Authority, to him, simply meant the power to enforce his will on people, whereas we might say that a proper use of power would be to exercise responsibility and concern for others.
As we think about Pilate who do you think is in control of this meeting between Jesus and Pilate ?
The little phrase “suffered under Pontius Pilate” is recited all over the world in the Creed and this obscure Roman governor of Judea, who stepped onto the stage for just a few hours, will always be remembered. How important was his role really though ?
In a few moments whilst some quiet music is played let’s just think about the role of the crowd in the death of Jesus, and also the role of Pilate. Let’s also think how easy it is to run with the crowds or to just do the popular thing and how difficult it is sometimes to do the right thing !
Quiet music then prayer
The Price of Materialism … Judas
Mark 14:43-46 : ‘ Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.’ So when he came, he went up to him at once and said, ‘Rabbi!’ and kissed him. Then they laid hands on him and arrested him.’
The next character that I want to think about is Judas. He has really come to the fore in the past few years, as people have tried to find ways to exonerate him for the part he played. There have been many theories about Judas Iscariot including whether this nationalist, disillusioned zealot was simply trying to bring the best out of Jesus?
How justifiable is this point ?
One of the suggestions about Judas is of course that he was driven by greed and materialism - In an increasingly materialistic society do you think there are dangers to the Church of materialism ?
Mark 14:66-end : ‘While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she stared at him and said, ‘You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.’ But he denied it, saying, ‘I do not know or understand what you are talking about.’ And he went out into the forecourt. Then the cock crowed. And the servant-girl, on seeing him, began again to say to the bystanders, ‘This man is one of them.’ But again he denied it. Then after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, ‘Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean.’ But he began to curse, and he swore an oath, ‘I do not know this man you are talking about.’ At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.’ And he broke down and wept.’
The next character around the cross that I want to think of is Peter. Nobody can deny the important role of Peter as head of the disciples, but also as one who went through the pain of denying Jesus. It’s very easy to get the temptation to play down what we think of Jesus to try and stay popular, or to avoid a long discussion or even argument.
How do we identify with his denial? Do we understand how he was feeling ?
In Peter we see one who not only knew what it was to deny Jesus, but also one who journeyed on to confess him, as Peter became a leader of the first church.
In a few moments of quiet can we just think about these last 2 characters we’ve thought about – perhaps sympathetically in many ways. Both Judas and Peter gave a lot to follow Jesus, but both had crucial failures in their commitment and discipleship – for Judas that failure marked the end of his life, for Peter it was part of a journey that was to continue for many more years of successful and powerful ministry, inspired by the risen Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit.
The Prevailing Gratitude of Forgiveness … Mary Magdalene
And so on to 2 characters who really were moved by the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. One stayed incredibly loyal to him, while one felt his life being changed.
As the post-Resurrection drama unfolded, it is of no mean significance that the first person to encounter Jesus Christ as the Risen Lord was a woman – and that it was Mary Magdalene. Contrary to much fanciful writing, we know relatively little about Mary, but what we do know is that she was one who knew the power of God’s forgiveness which had been given to her in Jesus Christ. We cannot journey through Holy Week without exploring the power of forgiveness. But in Mary we also see someone who was brave enough to stand up and be counted – she didn’t run like others, but stayed at the cross with her Saviour.
How good is the Church at preaching a message of forgiveness for sins ?
How easy is it for us as individuals to forgive ?
A second really positive character to think about around the cross is the centurion.
Mark 15:37-39 : ‘Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’
A most powerful confession at the Cross comes from the lips of the unlikely centurion. One who had seen the agony - and because his part had played a significant role in bringing it about – he was one who also recognised that here was someone far more than a victim; far more than one who was paying the price for what he had done.
We don’t know what happened to the centurion after this – we don’t really know whether his life was changed forever but I think we can suspect that it was… It seems impossible to imagine that this centurion would not follow up the Jesus story, and that he would not have been in touch with events a few days later as Jesus rose from the dead.
I guess that best lesson we learn from the centurion is that God can do remarkable things – he can change the most unlikely of people – in what ways can the Church mirror that power ?
The Point of Easter … Jesus Christ
Coming to the end of this session I want to spend just a few more moments thinking about the central character here – Jesus himself. I found this poem which I thought was quite interesting :
“Last chance: The final week of Jesus' life”
(Wood Lake, 1989, pages 21-27)
Then as now, people thought in power terms.
They suffered from what I sometimes call the “Superman Syndrome.”
They expected the Messiah, the Saviour,
to act like a fairy godmother and make things right
by waving a magic wand. Zzzap! – everything's fixed.
Fairy godmothers and Superman belong
in children's stories and comic books.
But the pattern of thinking persists in adults.
Adults wouldn't dream of asking a boss to “kiss it better”...
but they still buy lottery tickets, hoping that
unearned wealth will solve their problems.
Or they elect a handsome but vacuous politician
to restore national prosperity.
Or they beg a charismatic television evangelist to cure their cancer.
In Jesus' time, people expected their promised Saviour
to drive the hated Roman army out of their territory,
and to restore Israel to the glory it had known, briefly, under David and Solomon...
But Jesus came riding on a donkey, not a war-horse.
Almost anywhere in the world, the donkey is a symbol of humility. They're beasts of burden.
Women ride donkeys; men feel humiliated if they have to ride on a donkey.
If they can't have a horse, they'd rather walk!
In his final week, his last chance to get his message across,
Jesus must have despaired of mere words.
So he decided to act out his message in ways
that his disciples could neither mistake nor forget.
He chose to ride a donkey when he entered Jerusalem…
At the Cross gathered a strange assortment of people and yet it is the One on the Cross who still captures the world’s attention. On Easter Day, hundreds of millions of people across the earth will celebrate his risen power today. Millions more may be waiting, consciously or sub consciously for something or someone to change their lives…
Let us pray : somewhere someone is kind when others are unkind,
somewhere someone shares with another in need,
somewhere someone refuses to hate, while others hate,
somewhere someone is patient - and waits in love,
somewhere someone returns good for evil,
somewhere someone serves another, in love,
somewhere someone is calm in a storm,
somewhere someone is loving everybody.
Make that person me O Lord.
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