Sermon Illustrations for Palm/Passion Sunday (2013)
Illustration
Object:
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Dennis and Peter Gaffney wrote a book titled The Seven-Day Scholar: The Presidents, in which they composed 365 true stories from the lives of the Presidents of the United States. One story is to be read each day for inspiration and education.
In deciding to write about the presidents, the authors wrote this about their motivation: "We chose the presidents because they are fascinating both as individuals and as a prism through which to glimpse our country's history."
When the Lord gave Isaiah "the tongue of a teacher," he became for us a prism to inspire us and help us understand our Judeo-Christian heritage.
Ron L.
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Our lesson, the Third Servant Song, about the Suffering Servant whom Deutero-Isaiah describes, refers to the Messiah sustaining the weary. We are weary from our conspicuous consumption cycle, which in 2012 had us accumulating an average household debt of $15,587, and from the rising health-care costs and inflation (it costs $486 to buy what you could get with $100 in 1973). John Calvin nicely describes how the Messiah who comes sustains us in that weariness:
"However that may be, he [our Lord] always watches carefully and runs to give aid; and even when we fly and resist, he calls us to him, that we may be refreshed by tasting his grace and kindness" (Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. VIII/2, p. 54).
In this sense, the suffering of our Lord is good news, as Martin Luther proclaimed: "...it hurts the Lord to see that we weep at the sight of his suffering. He wants us to be glad, praise God, thank his grace, extol, glorify, and confess him; for through this journey we come into the possession of the grace of God" (What Luther Says, p. 180).
Mark E.
Philippians 2:5-11
How important am I? I am certainly above many I see around me. I pay my income tax! I always do my share. I am proud of myself for where I am now. I have worked hard for it. I deserve some respect.
Then what about Jesus? Who could be higher than the Son of God himself?
Who on earth could ever become closer to perfection? Yet he allowed himself to experience the lowest humility -- being tortured and murdered on a cross! What could be worse? That should give us some perspective. One child coming out of church asked the pastor, "Are you God?" Sometimes that is what children think (maybe how we feel?). Are we humble? In many of my congregations I found some in the membership who I felt were better than me. How could I say such a thing? All my years of study were nothing compared to my Lord who sacrificed everything for me. If we would like to be elevated to the highest level down here, then it looks like we have to humble ourselves. Jesus even stooped to wash his disciples' feet as a further example, but the disciples were always wondering which of them would be the greatest in God's kingdom.
The lesson from this passage is that God is the one who will exalt us. If we try to inflate our own ego, we only demean ourselves in God's sight. Whenever I am tempted to think how good I am and how much better than some around me, I look at the Lord for his example. Be careful that you don't tell the Lord and others that you are the humblest person on earth! Just be truly humble and you will join the one who came to earth and sacrificed everything for you. He is our example!
Bob O.
Philippians 2:5-11
A quick look in Roget's Thesaurus reveals these words that explore the meaning of empty, whether used as a verb or adjective: "void, deplete, hollow, vacant, useless" -- rather negative connotations. However, looking at it from a functional point of view, it is the empty vessel that has the greatest capacity to do what it is designed to do. From this perspective, look at how Paul describes Jesus: capable of taking on the servant role for the sake of others and fully identifying with humanity even to the measure of mortality. Jesus is not just another any other, but the very one who leads us into the most fulfilling life as we live for others and who assures us that God is with us every step of our human journey.
Mark M.
Luke 22:14--23:56
George Washington's father died when he was eleven. For this reason Washington never went to a boarding school and never attended college. Later in life, Washington confessed that it was for his lack of education that he never embarked upon writing his memoirs.
Jesus at the Last Supper and his actions and words during his trial are his memoir to us on the meaning of his life and death.
Ron L.
Luke 22:14--23:56
The Passion Sunday gospel reveals how insidious our sin is. We need to dwell on this theme, according to famed 20th-century Christian ethicist Reinhold Niebuhr. He compares sinners like us to onions. You have to peel a lot of skin to get what is edible in the onion. The closer you get below the layers, the more pungent the onion is. So it is with us. Once you peel off our pretentions or righteousness (skin deep), you get to the depth of the onion, which is downright intolerable to be around (Justice & Mercy, p. 90). About the only one capable of finding any good out of onions like us is Jesus, and he only got used to us by going to hell for us first! Martin Luther was right when he called the Passion a testimony to Christ's "tremendous love," a love that can even tolerate rotten onions like us (Complete Sermons, Vol. 5, p. 372).
Mark E.
Dennis and Peter Gaffney wrote a book titled The Seven-Day Scholar: The Presidents, in which they composed 365 true stories from the lives of the Presidents of the United States. One story is to be read each day for inspiration and education.
In deciding to write about the presidents, the authors wrote this about their motivation: "We chose the presidents because they are fascinating both as individuals and as a prism through which to glimpse our country's history."
When the Lord gave Isaiah "the tongue of a teacher," he became for us a prism to inspire us and help us understand our Judeo-Christian heritage.
Ron L.
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Our lesson, the Third Servant Song, about the Suffering Servant whom Deutero-Isaiah describes, refers to the Messiah sustaining the weary. We are weary from our conspicuous consumption cycle, which in 2012 had us accumulating an average household debt of $15,587, and from the rising health-care costs and inflation (it costs $486 to buy what you could get with $100 in 1973). John Calvin nicely describes how the Messiah who comes sustains us in that weariness:
"However that may be, he [our Lord] always watches carefully and runs to give aid; and even when we fly and resist, he calls us to him, that we may be refreshed by tasting his grace and kindness" (Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. VIII/2, p. 54).
In this sense, the suffering of our Lord is good news, as Martin Luther proclaimed: "...it hurts the Lord to see that we weep at the sight of his suffering. He wants us to be glad, praise God, thank his grace, extol, glorify, and confess him; for through this journey we come into the possession of the grace of God" (What Luther Says, p. 180).
Mark E.
Philippians 2:5-11
How important am I? I am certainly above many I see around me. I pay my income tax! I always do my share. I am proud of myself for where I am now. I have worked hard for it. I deserve some respect.
Then what about Jesus? Who could be higher than the Son of God himself?
Who on earth could ever become closer to perfection? Yet he allowed himself to experience the lowest humility -- being tortured and murdered on a cross! What could be worse? That should give us some perspective. One child coming out of church asked the pastor, "Are you God?" Sometimes that is what children think (maybe how we feel?). Are we humble? In many of my congregations I found some in the membership who I felt were better than me. How could I say such a thing? All my years of study were nothing compared to my Lord who sacrificed everything for me. If we would like to be elevated to the highest level down here, then it looks like we have to humble ourselves. Jesus even stooped to wash his disciples' feet as a further example, but the disciples were always wondering which of them would be the greatest in God's kingdom.
The lesson from this passage is that God is the one who will exalt us. If we try to inflate our own ego, we only demean ourselves in God's sight. Whenever I am tempted to think how good I am and how much better than some around me, I look at the Lord for his example. Be careful that you don't tell the Lord and others that you are the humblest person on earth! Just be truly humble and you will join the one who came to earth and sacrificed everything for you. He is our example!
Bob O.
Philippians 2:5-11
A quick look in Roget's Thesaurus reveals these words that explore the meaning of empty, whether used as a verb or adjective: "void, deplete, hollow, vacant, useless" -- rather negative connotations. However, looking at it from a functional point of view, it is the empty vessel that has the greatest capacity to do what it is designed to do. From this perspective, look at how Paul describes Jesus: capable of taking on the servant role for the sake of others and fully identifying with humanity even to the measure of mortality. Jesus is not just another any other, but the very one who leads us into the most fulfilling life as we live for others and who assures us that God is with us every step of our human journey.
Mark M.
Luke 22:14--23:56
George Washington's father died when he was eleven. For this reason Washington never went to a boarding school and never attended college. Later in life, Washington confessed that it was for his lack of education that he never embarked upon writing his memoirs.
Jesus at the Last Supper and his actions and words during his trial are his memoir to us on the meaning of his life and death.
Ron L.
Luke 22:14--23:56
The Passion Sunday gospel reveals how insidious our sin is. We need to dwell on this theme, according to famed 20th-century Christian ethicist Reinhold Niebuhr. He compares sinners like us to onions. You have to peel a lot of skin to get what is edible in the onion. The closer you get below the layers, the more pungent the onion is. So it is with us. Once you peel off our pretentions or righteousness (skin deep), you get to the depth of the onion, which is downright intolerable to be around (Justice & Mercy, p. 90). About the only one capable of finding any good out of onions like us is Jesus, and he only got used to us by going to hell for us first! Martin Luther was right when he called the Passion a testimony to Christ's "tremendous love," a love that can even tolerate rotten onions like us (Complete Sermons, Vol. 5, p. 372).
Mark E.
