The Passion according to John
Commentary
Traditionally in most communities on this day an ecumenical service built around the seven last words of Jesus has been held between the hours of noon and 3:00 p.m. New developments in New Testament scholarship which have rediscovered the unique themes of each gospel writer make the traditional service seem obsolete. A more preferable way to organize such a service would be to plan it around individual scenes of the passion narrative in one particular gospel.
Even with the liturgical combining of Palm and Passion Sunday and the less well attended services of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, the Passion does not get the attention it merits given the space allotted to it in the gospels and the centrality of the cross to our faith. One thing the preacher might do is break step with the lectionary for one Lenten season and deliver sermons drawn from the themes and scenes of a particular gospel. The sermon seeds from the gospel reading are designed to be suggestive for such a project as well as a present help for a Good Friday sermon or meditation.
Sermon Seeds In The Lessons
Isaiah 52:13--53:12
Traditionally called the Song of the Suffering Servant it should be rightly called the Triumphant Song of the Suffering Servant. Is the servant an individual or a community of persecuted prophets? We cannot say. Whenever there is an open Bible before the cross on the altar or communion table, that Bible is customarily opened to this passage. Though it is not a crystal ball prediction of Jesus we can understand why Christians from earliest times have prized it. The prophetic circle out of which came the servant songs had caught a vision of the redemptive power of vicarious self-giving and suffering.
Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9
We have already encountered parts of this reading on October 9 and 16 of last year. I refer you to Charting the Course for those dates. The late Peter Taylor Forsythe called the cross the great confessional in history. In Hebrews the self-giving and obedience of Jesus is the great mark of his priesthood. There are other sections of Hebrews that would provide a clearer basis for a sermon of Jesus as our High Priest.
John 18:1--19:42
Søren Kierkegaard gave us a way to approach biblical narratives when he spoke of the Word of God as a mirror. In the narratives of the gospel approach them this way. In the scenes we will catch a glimpse of ourselves.
Jesus Before The High Priest -- 18:12-14, 19-24
Institutional religion participated in the crucifixion of Jesus. The wily Caiaphas, the High Priest, provided the rationale for the conspiracy against Jesus, provided the charges, and stirred up the multitudes. His actions were dictated by expediency. "... it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed."
The figure of Caiaphas stands as a warning to pastors and congregations. The church can participate in crucifixion. The concern for institutional stability can override the gospel imperatives to conscience. A smoothly running institution can be prized over obedience to our calling. A member of the French church that chose to remain silent about Nazi policies toward the Jews defended the decision by saying, "Any other choice would have split the church." Expediency becomes subterfuge and the gospel rests in the stewardship of timid hands.
Peter's Denial, 18:15-18, 25-27
The story of Peter's denial is told in all of the gospels. He is representative of all of us in our vulnerability when our professions of faith and loyalty are put to the test. I cannot condemn Peter for certainly I have at times preferred the shadows and warmed my hands at alien fires. John gives us a vivid contrast between Jesus who stands up to his questioners and Peter who crumbles in similar circumstances. The cock crow that closes the episode catches the eye. Is this an indication of the time or the promise of a new day for Peter?
Jesus Before Pilate, 18:28-38, 19:8-12
This column dealt with the meeting of Jesus and Pilate on Christ the King Sunday (November 20). Raymond Brown has pointed out to us that the Johannine Pilate should be looked upon "not as a personification of the State but as another representative of a reaction to Jesus that is neither faith nor rejection. Pilate is typical not of the state that would remain neutral, but of many honest, well disposed people who would try to adopt a middle position in a struggle that is total."1
Pilate gives in to the demands of Jesus' enemies to keep the peace. Ironically those enemies who are about to celebrate the deliverance from Pharaoh voice allegiance to the Roman Emperor.
The Soldiers, 19:23-25a
There has been much scholarly discussion about the Johannine symbolism that might cling to the seamless tunic of Jesus, but the conclusions are mixed and uncertain. It is the soldiers casting lots under the cross that catch the preacher's eyes. Check out the poem by G. Studdert Kennedy, "The Gamblers." Kennedy looks at the gamblers at the foot of the cross then looks up, "He was a gambler too, my Christ." J. Wallace Hamilton in a sermon drew a contrast between the big game on the cross and the little game on the ground. There are folks who occupy themselves with trivial pursuits unmoved by the great issues of the day.
The Birth Of A New Family, 19:25b-27
The synoptics report that all the disciples left Jesus and fled. John's narrative places an unnamed disciple plus an aunt of Jesus, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene standing near the cross with the mother of Jesus. He contrasts them with Peter who denied Jesus. Does John want the members of his persecuted flock to know that not all the disciples bolted and here is an example for them?
That Jesus provides for his mother before his life ends is an act of filial responsibility. We can all identify with the concern of Jesus. Concern for an aging parent not only becomes a personal concern for each of us at a particular point but also has vast implications for a humane social policy in our nation. But the fact that Jesus never mentions the name of Jesus' mother signals us to be alert for other levels of meaning in the way she is addressed as "Woman."
John's symbol is an eagle. It fits him, for his thought soars and it begins to soar here. The Woman receives a new son; a new family is birthed. It is a family that comes into being under the cross, formed not by blood ties, but by a common Word, a loyalty, and a shared experience. One association piles upon another here. The Woman is the personification of the church. Luther called Mary "the Mother of all Christians." The unknown disciple is any disciple who loves and follows Jesus and is born into this family.
Now strap on your seat belt for John's thought really takes off. In fact, put on your oxygen masks. The Woman is the mother of Jesus. Yes! She is the Mother who is given children, the church. Yes! But there is more. She is the symbol of the Mother Church, Israel, the community of faith in history. She is the Maid of Zion, the prophetic personification of Israel. Suddenly a word to the church leaps out, "Behold your mother!" Our roots are in the heritage of Judaism. The word of Jesus cancels out anti-Semitism. This is a remarkable word proclaimed in a time when bitter relations prevailed between the synagogue and the house churches.
But if you think John is finished, hold on. The imagery reminds us of Mother Eve who births the old humanity. Mary is the new Eve who births new children in the midst of this old age of regnant selfishness.
The Burial Of Jesus, 19:38-42
Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple, and Nicodemus who came to Jesus at night, both go public with their discipleship and arrange for the burial of Jesus. They are not presented to us in a negative way, though they have been often so treated in sermons. They come forward at a time when hostile passions have been running strong. John uses their example to encourage the secret followers who prefer the shadows. It is never too late to follow Jesus.
1. Brown, Raymond E., "The Gospel According to John, XIII, XXI." The Anchor Bible, Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York, p. 864.
Even with the liturgical combining of Palm and Passion Sunday and the less well attended services of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, the Passion does not get the attention it merits given the space allotted to it in the gospels and the centrality of the cross to our faith. One thing the preacher might do is break step with the lectionary for one Lenten season and deliver sermons drawn from the themes and scenes of a particular gospel. The sermon seeds from the gospel reading are designed to be suggestive for such a project as well as a present help for a Good Friday sermon or meditation.
Sermon Seeds In The Lessons
Isaiah 52:13--53:12
Traditionally called the Song of the Suffering Servant it should be rightly called the Triumphant Song of the Suffering Servant. Is the servant an individual or a community of persecuted prophets? We cannot say. Whenever there is an open Bible before the cross on the altar or communion table, that Bible is customarily opened to this passage. Though it is not a crystal ball prediction of Jesus we can understand why Christians from earliest times have prized it. The prophetic circle out of which came the servant songs had caught a vision of the redemptive power of vicarious self-giving and suffering.
Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9
We have already encountered parts of this reading on October 9 and 16 of last year. I refer you to Charting the Course for those dates. The late Peter Taylor Forsythe called the cross the great confessional in history. In Hebrews the self-giving and obedience of Jesus is the great mark of his priesthood. There are other sections of Hebrews that would provide a clearer basis for a sermon of Jesus as our High Priest.
John 18:1--19:42
Søren Kierkegaard gave us a way to approach biblical narratives when he spoke of the Word of God as a mirror. In the narratives of the gospel approach them this way. In the scenes we will catch a glimpse of ourselves.
Jesus Before The High Priest -- 18:12-14, 19-24
Institutional religion participated in the crucifixion of Jesus. The wily Caiaphas, the High Priest, provided the rationale for the conspiracy against Jesus, provided the charges, and stirred up the multitudes. His actions were dictated by expediency. "... it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed."
The figure of Caiaphas stands as a warning to pastors and congregations. The church can participate in crucifixion. The concern for institutional stability can override the gospel imperatives to conscience. A smoothly running institution can be prized over obedience to our calling. A member of the French church that chose to remain silent about Nazi policies toward the Jews defended the decision by saying, "Any other choice would have split the church." Expediency becomes subterfuge and the gospel rests in the stewardship of timid hands.
Peter's Denial, 18:15-18, 25-27
The story of Peter's denial is told in all of the gospels. He is representative of all of us in our vulnerability when our professions of faith and loyalty are put to the test. I cannot condemn Peter for certainly I have at times preferred the shadows and warmed my hands at alien fires. John gives us a vivid contrast between Jesus who stands up to his questioners and Peter who crumbles in similar circumstances. The cock crow that closes the episode catches the eye. Is this an indication of the time or the promise of a new day for Peter?
Jesus Before Pilate, 18:28-38, 19:8-12
This column dealt with the meeting of Jesus and Pilate on Christ the King Sunday (November 20). Raymond Brown has pointed out to us that the Johannine Pilate should be looked upon "not as a personification of the State but as another representative of a reaction to Jesus that is neither faith nor rejection. Pilate is typical not of the state that would remain neutral, but of many honest, well disposed people who would try to adopt a middle position in a struggle that is total."1
Pilate gives in to the demands of Jesus' enemies to keep the peace. Ironically those enemies who are about to celebrate the deliverance from Pharaoh voice allegiance to the Roman Emperor.
The Soldiers, 19:23-25a
There has been much scholarly discussion about the Johannine symbolism that might cling to the seamless tunic of Jesus, but the conclusions are mixed and uncertain. It is the soldiers casting lots under the cross that catch the preacher's eyes. Check out the poem by G. Studdert Kennedy, "The Gamblers." Kennedy looks at the gamblers at the foot of the cross then looks up, "He was a gambler too, my Christ." J. Wallace Hamilton in a sermon drew a contrast between the big game on the cross and the little game on the ground. There are folks who occupy themselves with trivial pursuits unmoved by the great issues of the day.
The Birth Of A New Family, 19:25b-27
The synoptics report that all the disciples left Jesus and fled. John's narrative places an unnamed disciple plus an aunt of Jesus, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene standing near the cross with the mother of Jesus. He contrasts them with Peter who denied Jesus. Does John want the members of his persecuted flock to know that not all the disciples bolted and here is an example for them?
That Jesus provides for his mother before his life ends is an act of filial responsibility. We can all identify with the concern of Jesus. Concern for an aging parent not only becomes a personal concern for each of us at a particular point but also has vast implications for a humane social policy in our nation. But the fact that Jesus never mentions the name of Jesus' mother signals us to be alert for other levels of meaning in the way she is addressed as "Woman."
John's symbol is an eagle. It fits him, for his thought soars and it begins to soar here. The Woman receives a new son; a new family is birthed. It is a family that comes into being under the cross, formed not by blood ties, but by a common Word, a loyalty, and a shared experience. One association piles upon another here. The Woman is the personification of the church. Luther called Mary "the Mother of all Christians." The unknown disciple is any disciple who loves and follows Jesus and is born into this family.
Now strap on your seat belt for John's thought really takes off. In fact, put on your oxygen masks. The Woman is the mother of Jesus. Yes! She is the Mother who is given children, the church. Yes! But there is more. She is the symbol of the Mother Church, Israel, the community of faith in history. She is the Maid of Zion, the prophetic personification of Israel. Suddenly a word to the church leaps out, "Behold your mother!" Our roots are in the heritage of Judaism. The word of Jesus cancels out anti-Semitism. This is a remarkable word proclaimed in a time when bitter relations prevailed between the synagogue and the house churches.
But if you think John is finished, hold on. The imagery reminds us of Mother Eve who births the old humanity. Mary is the new Eve who births new children in the midst of this old age of regnant selfishness.
The Burial Of Jesus, 19:38-42
Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple, and Nicodemus who came to Jesus at night, both go public with their discipleship and arrange for the burial of Jesus. They are not presented to us in a negative way, though they have been often so treated in sermons. They come forward at a time when hostile passions have been running strong. John uses their example to encourage the secret followers who prefer the shadows. It is never too late to follow Jesus.
1. Brown, Raymond E., "The Gospel According to John, XIII, XXI." The Anchor Bible, Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York, p. 864.
