Sermon Illustrations for Passion Sunday (2012)
Illustration
Isaiah 50:4-9a
First Lady Michelle Obama became defensive with the publication of the book The Obamas, by New York Times journalist Jodi Kantor. In that book Kantor describes Mrs. Obama as an angry woman, unhappy, and always at odds with the White House staff.
Mrs. Obama said in an interview with CBS' Gale King that, "I've just gotten in the habit of not reading other people's impressions of people." Mrs. Obama went on to further explain why she does not read the type of books that Kantor and others like her write, "Because, you know, it's a game in so many ways... Who can write about how I feel? Who?"
Isaiah suffered the same kind of incrimination as Michelle Obama, and he too marched forward with his message and his ministry. As Isaiah related his position, "I did not hide my face from insult and spitting."
Ron L.
Philippians 2:5-11
In 1722 a group of persecuted Protestants from the area of Bohemia and Moravia moved to the estate of Count Zinzendorf called Herrnhut about seventy miles from Dresden, Germany. They prayed together and eventually formed the Unitas Fratrum with a distinctive liturgy and hymnology, and most importantly with a passion for world missions.
Zinzendorf often recounted the turning point in his life. One day he saw a painting of Jesus hanging on the cross. He studied the painting carefully. He saw the nail prints in his hands and in his feet. He saw the blood flowing freely. He spent a long time gazing at this painting. Finally, he saw the words at the bottom of the painting: "All this I did for Thee. What hast Thou done for me?"
Zinzendorf dedicated his life to Jesus that day and vowed to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth.
"... he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death -- even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:8).
Richard H.
Philippians 2:5-11
Having majored in English in college, I have a deep affection for literature. Of course, that includes the works of Shakespeare. In arguably one of his best plays, Henry V, Shakespeare has the title character disguised and mingling with his troops the night before going to fight the French army. As he converses with three of his soldiers, King Henry gives us a remarkable insight into his own humanity, held up against the stereotype of the unflappable king. "I think the king is but a man, as I am: the violet smells to him as it doth to me... all his senses have but human conditions" (Act IV, Scene 1). Here we see the most powerful man of his society taking a common form, becoming one of his people.
Rather than just taking on a brief disguise, King Jesus stooped not from a temporal throne, but out of heaven itself, taking on the common form of humanity, not just to mingle with us, but more than that -- to save us from ourselves, to defeat death itself. "[Jesus] emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (vv. 7-8).
Craig K.
Mark 14:1--15:47
When the Pittsburgh Steelers were in the dark days of defeat, broadcaster Myron Cope tried to do something to lift everyone's spirits. He came up with the idea of everyone bringing a yellow towel to the stadium, as the Steelers colors are yellow and black, and waving the towels during the game. As the performance of the Steelers improved, the yellow towels became known as "The Terrible Towel."
Cope said the towel "is not an instrument of witchcraft... It is not a hex upon the enemy. The towel is a positive force that lifts the Steelers to magnificent heights." Cope went on to say, "the symbol of the terrible towel will serve as a memento of your having been a part of the Steeler's Dynasty."
When Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem the crowds waved palms. Later in the week "a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on Jesus' head." The towel, the palms, the nard, it is because we want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.
Ron L.
First Lady Michelle Obama became defensive with the publication of the book The Obamas, by New York Times journalist Jodi Kantor. In that book Kantor describes Mrs. Obama as an angry woman, unhappy, and always at odds with the White House staff.
Mrs. Obama said in an interview with CBS' Gale King that, "I've just gotten in the habit of not reading other people's impressions of people." Mrs. Obama went on to further explain why she does not read the type of books that Kantor and others like her write, "Because, you know, it's a game in so many ways... Who can write about how I feel? Who?"
Isaiah suffered the same kind of incrimination as Michelle Obama, and he too marched forward with his message and his ministry. As Isaiah related his position, "I did not hide my face from insult and spitting."
Ron L.
Philippians 2:5-11
In 1722 a group of persecuted Protestants from the area of Bohemia and Moravia moved to the estate of Count Zinzendorf called Herrnhut about seventy miles from Dresden, Germany. They prayed together and eventually formed the Unitas Fratrum with a distinctive liturgy and hymnology, and most importantly with a passion for world missions.
Zinzendorf often recounted the turning point in his life. One day he saw a painting of Jesus hanging on the cross. He studied the painting carefully. He saw the nail prints in his hands and in his feet. He saw the blood flowing freely. He spent a long time gazing at this painting. Finally, he saw the words at the bottom of the painting: "All this I did for Thee. What hast Thou done for me?"
Zinzendorf dedicated his life to Jesus that day and vowed to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth.
"... he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death -- even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:8).
Richard H.
Philippians 2:5-11
Having majored in English in college, I have a deep affection for literature. Of course, that includes the works of Shakespeare. In arguably one of his best plays, Henry V, Shakespeare has the title character disguised and mingling with his troops the night before going to fight the French army. As he converses with three of his soldiers, King Henry gives us a remarkable insight into his own humanity, held up against the stereotype of the unflappable king. "I think the king is but a man, as I am: the violet smells to him as it doth to me... all his senses have but human conditions" (Act IV, Scene 1). Here we see the most powerful man of his society taking a common form, becoming one of his people.
Rather than just taking on a brief disguise, King Jesus stooped not from a temporal throne, but out of heaven itself, taking on the common form of humanity, not just to mingle with us, but more than that -- to save us from ourselves, to defeat death itself. "[Jesus] emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (vv. 7-8).
Craig K.
Mark 14:1--15:47
When the Pittsburgh Steelers were in the dark days of defeat, broadcaster Myron Cope tried to do something to lift everyone's spirits. He came up with the idea of everyone bringing a yellow towel to the stadium, as the Steelers colors are yellow and black, and waving the towels during the game. As the performance of the Steelers improved, the yellow towels became known as "The Terrible Towel."
Cope said the towel "is not an instrument of witchcraft... It is not a hex upon the enemy. The towel is a positive force that lifts the Steelers to magnificent heights." Cope went on to say, "the symbol of the terrible towel will serve as a memento of your having been a part of the Steeler's Dynasty."
When Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem the crowds waved palms. Later in the week "a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on Jesus' head." The towel, the palms, the nard, it is because we want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.
Ron L.
