Mark 8:27-38 and Romans 3:21-26
’Journeying with Jesus through Lent #2: ‘By the Way of the Cross’’
Sermon Series: Lent 2009
Those of us who like to watch quiz shows on TV may remember a show (in the UK running from 1965-88) from some years ago called ‘Call my Bluff’ (only running in the US from March 29 to September 24, 1965 on NBC*). Here, two teams of three people were given a little-used, very obscure and very LONG(!) word. Then one team would give the other team three different definitions of that word – all three definitions were very convincing – each seemed as though it could be the right definition, BUT ONLY ONE WAS RIGHT! It was for the other team to deliberate, then to decide (often guess!) which was the right answer. Would they get it right, or would they be fooled into choosing one of the two ‘bluffs’? That was the point of the show.
Long, complicated words, that only a few people know the true meaning of. We might call it ‘jargon’ these days. It’s like that entertainment show of even more years ago called (in the UK) ‘The Good Old Days’. This show (running from 1953-83) took place in a beautiful old theatre in Leeds, the audience all dressed-up in Victorian / Edwardian costume, and they came to take part in the singing of old, favourite songs and to laugh at the jokes of the comedians. It was a Victorian – Edwardian music-hall ‘variety’ show, with different singers and comedians having a few minute ‘slot’ to fill, one after the other. But no matter how good and popular the ‘artistes’ might have been, perhaps the real star of the show was Leonard Sachs – the compare! He introduced each of the acts in turn, and he would astound the audience with his use of very long, elaborate words. Each time he used one of these words the audience would respond “Ooooooooooo”!
But enough of nostalgia! Yet isn’t it true that we all come across long, complicated words, that only a few people seem to know the true meaning of. Jargon! Words that, when we see them written or hear them spoken, we either ignore them altogether, or we search our dictionaries to find out what they mean. And isn’t it just as true that sometimes, as we read our Bibles, or listen to the Word of the Bible (we pastors need to take note!), we meet with words that we really don’t know what they mean – or that we ASSUME people know the meaning of? Words we really ought not ignore though, for often our understanding of them are central to our ability to share with other people our Christian faith – our faith in the Crucified and Risen Christ – that we profess. How about some of those words we have just heard from that letter of Paul?
He writes: “… they are now JUSTIFIED by his grace as a gift, through the REDEMPTION that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of ATONEMENT by his blood, effective through faith.” (Rom 3:24-25a). Now, there are three words to conjure with! ‘justified’, ‘redemption’ and ‘atonement’. And yes, these are words it is important we know the meaning of because, yes, often our understanding of them are central to our ability to share with other people our Christian faith.
So, let’s take ‘redemption’ first. Any ideas? Basically ‘redeem’ means ‘save’. We meet with the word ‘redeemed’ quite often, don’t we (not just in church!), like when we get a voucher for ‘money off’ goods. In the ‘small-print’ on the reverse of these vouchers we might see words like, ‘The value of this voucher may be REDEEMED for goods at all participating stores … terms and conditions apply.’ Such a voucher saves us money, it represents something paid for and freely given without cost to us, the cost being born by the one giving to us. REDEMPTION, then, is the act of SAVING.
Now, what about the word ‘atonement’? Any ideas? A good way of understanding this word is by removing the last four letters (leaving ‘atone’), and then dividing what’s left into two – giving ‘at-one’. ‘Atonement’ is the act of bringing together, of making one person (say) and another ‘at-one’; it is an act of RECONCILIATION, of making right relationships between those that have been divided.
And the word ‘justified’. Any ideas? There are different usages of this word, but for us (theologically speaking) it is the act by which we are made RIGHTEOUS – the act by which we become ELIGIBLE or EARN those ‘right relations’ with God.
So now we can put this all together and return to what Paul is saying in his letter. In so many words, he is saying that faith in Jesus makes those who believe righteous, because of the saving act of Jesus on the cross, and this act has brought us together with God (in faith) and all who believe ‘as one’. Jesus has paid for all our sins, at absolutely no cost to ourselves, as a free gift to us, and this has brought us together with God in a new and special way – in a relationship of love. And it is through faith in Jesus that we gain this precious free gift – and this special relationship with God and one another. All through faith in Jesus – being the only ‘terms and conditions’ that apply.
But how was this JUSTIFICATION, REDEMPTION and ATONEMENT to be achieved for us? By the way of the cross. You know, as barbaric, as radical as the way of the cross is, we can understand why it is that Jesus HAD to walk the way of the cross. We can understand how it was the will of God. If Jesus had not walked the way of the cross, there would have been no act of ‘redemption’; no act of ‘atonement’, no means by which we could be ‘justified’. Or, in other words, there would be no means of being ‘saved’; no possibility of ‘at-one-ness’ with God, no means of being ‘made right’ with God. For Jesus, there was no option but to walk the way of the cross, and to follow the will of God. And it was all for US – for YOU and ME! Imagine that! We’ll come back to these three words – these amazing, incredible acts of God’s grace and mercy in Christ Jesus – in a moment. Now we turn to God’s Word as we received it through our Gospel verses today.
In our Gospel reading we find Jesus travelling with his companions between towns, and he asks them a question: “Who do people say that I am?” The disciples give some answers they must have heard from people – “Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, others say one of the prophets.” Then Jesus asks, “Who do YOU say that I am?” and Peter exclaims, “You are the Messiah!” Peter understands that Jesus is the Holy One of God, the Chosen One. Peter understands who Jesus IS, but he doesn’t yet understand what Jesus has come to DO (to follow God’s will on the way of the cross) – or to BE (the atoning, redeeming, justifying sacrifice for all). For when Jesus tells them all that he, “… Must undergo great suffering, be rejected … be killed … and rise again”, Peter rebukes Jesus. And Jesus responds with very harsh words: “Get behind me Satan.” For you are setting your mind not on divine things, but on human things.”
I suppose that it was easy for Peter to think of all the teaching and healing that Jesus had done, helping people so much in their doubts, pain and anxieties. Surely (perhaps Peter thought) it was the will of God that Jesus’ ministry would continue in the world, among the people who needed him so much? Little surprise that Peter had his mind on ‘human’ things, and thinking that this was the ‘divine’ will of God.
But we know that even if Jesus had lived (on earth) and remained active on the world until he was 100 years old, he could still only have taught and brought healing to a tiny proportion of the world. He could only have spread the Good News of God’s love for all people over the period of a few generations. No, there was a price to be paid for all people through all time to be redeemed, justified, and to receive atonement. And that price was the suffering (passion) and death of Jesus on the cross. Then FAITH in the Risen Christ was all that was necessary to receive that great gift of such great price – and that faith, the faith we share, would spread (and continues to spread) the Good News to the ends of the earth.
So, we began with three quite complex words – but together they speak of God’s love; three words that speak of Jesus as being the means by which we gain the salvation and reconciliation with God. Three words that speak of the will of God that Peter did not understand until after Jesus’ resurrection, and which Paul explains so beautifully. Three words that, most importantly perhaps, speak of the will of God - the desire of God - to be close to all people through faith in Jesus.
So, as we continue our journey in faith through Lent, let us reflect upon that free gift of God, more precious and valuable than any store can offer. The redeeming, atoning, justifying act of Jesus as he suffered on the cross. And let us keep in mind also the wondrous power of the resurrection, of the Risen Christ in whom we live and move and have our being, who calls us to have faith in him. Thanks be to God. Amen
*wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_My_Bluff
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Disclaimer: I have been privileged to share with God’s people, for more than ten years since my Ordination, many, many sermons and Bible studies. As so often, preachers ‘absorb’ words and other insights without knowing or remembering their original source. If any of the above seems somehow ‘familiar’, please accept my humble apologies – I have not wittingly reproduced any writing as my own that should be otherwise acknowledged.
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