Sunday Of The Passion
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series IV
Lesson 1: Isaiah 50:4-9a (C, L); Isaiah 50:4-7 (RC)
Yahweh's servant faces suffering confident of his help. This pericope constitutes the third of the four servant songs in Isaiah. Yahweh's servant hears his voice and is therefore fortified with determination to suffer mental agony in terms of ridicule, false accusations, humiliation and shame. He suffers confidently because Yahweh will vindicate, help and pronounce him innocent.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 45:21-25 (E)
Turn to God and be saved.
Lesson 2: Philippians 2:5-11 (C, E, L); Philippians 2:6-11 (RC)
Jesus' humiliation and God's exaltation of him. Paul is pleading for unity in the Philip-pian congregation. He uses Jesus as an example of humility. In this pericope Paul shows the dual reality of the humanity and divinity of Jesus. His deity is indicated in the words "in the form of God" and "equally with God." His humanity is expressed in the phrases, "emptied himself," "the likeness of men," "in human form," "obedient unto death." This humility, obedience and self-renunciation led to Christ's exaltation by God who gave him a name above all names - "Lord." It is God's will that every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.
Gospel:
Matthew 27:11-54 (C, L); Matthew (26:36-75) 27:1-54 (55-66) (E); Matthew 26:14-27:66 (RC)
This is the story of Jesus' trial before Pilate, the scourging, crucifixion and the centurion's confession. The amount of material for preaching on the Gospel Lesson alone, even with the short form, is overwhelming. Out of this mass of material, certain impressions are gained. First it is not a matter of how but who dies on the cross. Matthew wants us to see that the Messiah was crucified. Next, we are impressed with the silence of Jesus throughout his trial and suffering. His only word was a cry of desolation, "My God, why ..." His silence was the result of his obedience to the Father's will for him to be wounded for our transgressions. Third, we note the fact that Jesus was tempted on the cross as he was in the wilderness, "If you are the Son of God ..." Again, because of obedience, he stayed on the cross. Last, we hear an unbiased confession by one who was totally objective, "Truly this was the Son of God." It is the only honest and fair conclusion one can reach after standing at the foot of the cross.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 31:9-16 (C, L) - "Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress (v. 9)."
Psalm 22:1-21 (E) - "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me (v. 1)?"
Prayer Of The Day
"Almighty God, you sent your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take our flesh upon him and to suffer death on the cross. Grant that we may share in his obedience to your will and in the glorious victory of his resurrection."
Hymn Of The Day
"A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth"
Theme Of The Day: Life Out of Death
Gospel - Jesus suffers the horrors of crucifixion - Matthew 27:11-54
Lesson 1 - God's servant suffers willingly because of his trust in God - Isaiah 50:4-9a
Lesson 2 - As an obedient servant Jesus humbles himself to die on a cross - Philippians 2:5-11
The Passion is readily evident in these Lessons. The Gospel gives the history of the passion beginning with Jesus' trial before Pilate. Lesson 1 speaks of suffering in terms of disgrace. Lesson 2 refers to Jesus' humiliation as a suffering servant to the point of death. The Prayer mentions Jesus' coming "to suffer on the cross." The Psalms deal with the psalmist's sorrow, sighing and misery. The Hymn is related to the Passion.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS
Gospel:
Matthew 27:11-54
1. The cross was no accident. Throughout the Passion history there is reflected again and again that all of this was in fulfillment of the scriptures. The suffering of the Christ was according to a divine plan for a divine purpose.
2. A man in charge. A review of the Matthean accounts shows Jesus suffering and dying like a king. Jesus was always in charge. In him there was a dignity, poise and serenity that make you know he has everything in control.
3. The awfulness of sin. In this account we can see the terrible faces of sin in the people involved: betrayal, denial, expediency, sadism, cruelty of torture. On the cross we observe the most horrible price of sin - forsakenness. Jesus' cry of dereliction reveals how low Jesus had to descend to carry the weight of sin - a sense of God's abandonment.
4. Confusion. The cross produces a response. It is not an ordinary death which might cause only sympathy. There is a positive response by those with at least neutral eyes as expressed by a professional soldier. "Truly this was the Son of God."
Lesson 1: Isaiah 50:4-9a
1. Disgrace. The suffering of the Messiah was not only physical but mental and emotional. This may be a worse form of hurt - hurt feelings. The servant as a faithful follower of God endures shameful treatment. His enemies pull out his beard and spit in his face. Jesus endured this form of suffering: the soldiers dressed him as a king; the superscription above his head; crucified between two criminals; exposed naked before a crowd; taunted and mocked, "If you are the Son of God ..."
2. Confidence. The Servant is successful in taking the suffering because of his confidence in God's presence and help. God was near and ready to help. Though God allows suffering, he sustains the sufferer who suffers for his sake. When Jesus cried, "My God, why?" we sense the trauma and tragedy of God's apparent withdrawal.
Lesson 2: Philippians 2:5-11
1. Humiliation and exaltation. Because Jesus came down to the humility of the cross, Jesus was raised in exaltation. They are two sides of a coin. Jesus taught that he who humbles himself shall be exalted, and the reverse also applies. During Holy Week we watch Jesus stooping to the lowest level by dying a criminal's most horrible death, and on Easter he is raised to glory. His exaltation will not be complete until every knee shall bow and every tongue confess him as Lord.
2. Emptiness. Jesus emptied himself of his pre-existent glory, majesty and power that he might fit into the confines of a human being. Though he was the Son of God, he surrendered his divine attributes for the finitude of man.
PREACHING POSSIBILITIES
Preaching Problems on Lent 6
The new lectionary has moved Passion Sunday from the fifth to the sixth Sunday in Lent. Passion Sunday is combined with Palm Sunday. Can both be celebrated at the same time? Is this possible for preaching? Holy Week with the reading of the Passion history has been squeezed into one Sunday. The reason for this is the change in the church and the world. Because of lack of attendance, traditional daily Holy Week services are not held in many churches except on Maundy Thursday which is for the Eucharist, with only a meditation because of the length of the service, and a Good Friday service, either an ecumenical three-hour service with meditations on the last words of the cross or a Tenebrae service without a sermon. For all practical purposes, therefore, if the majority of our people are to hear the message of the cross, it must be on Lent 6.
1. Observe Palm Sunday. How can we not observe it after centuries of observance with the blessing and distribution of palms and confirmation? To satisfy this need, rubics suggest a Palm observance at the beginning of the service with the procession, distribution of palms and the reading of the traditional Palm Sunday Gospel. In this sense, Palm Sunday is considered the prelude to the Passion, the narthex to Holy Week and curtain-raiser on the cross.
2. Palm and Passion Sunday? In observing both, the preacher faces the problem of time. Can he observe both in one hour plus a few minutes?
a. The problem of long lections. With the Palm Sunday Gospel, it means four lessons. The Gospel for Passion Sunday is two chapters long.
b. Extra items for the day. Confirmation? Reception of new members? Infant baptism? Extra choir music? Distribution of palms? Must the sermon suffer by being cut to a brief meditation?
THREE LESSONS
Isaiah 50:4-9a; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 27:11-54
You and the Suffering Servant
Need: There is more than enough suffering in the world. As Job said, "Man is born to trouble." Why good people are called upon to innocently suffer has never been answered satisfactorily. Repeatedly Paul refers to our sharing in the sufferings of Christ. Suffering is a fact of life, but it is not a matter of why but how we suffer. In our Lessons of this Passion Sunday we can learn how to suffer with Jesus as our model.
Outline: How to be God's suffering servant -
a. The silent sufferer - Gospel - Matthew 27:11-54.
b. The willing sufferer - Lesson 1 - Isaiah 50:4-9a.
c. The humble sufferer - Lesson 2 - Philippians 2:5-11.
Gospel:
Matthew 27:11-54
In this long pericope, we have many opportunities to choose a text and subject. What one chooses depends upon the Spirit's guidance and the local church needs.
Text
Subject
Text
Subject
27:11
Are you the king of the Jews?
27:32
The cross of compulsion
27:12-13
The silence of Jesus
27:38
How is Jesus' death different?
27:19
The voice of conscience
27:42
Helped by helplessness
27:21
The people's choice
27:46
The word of the cross
27:22
What to do with Jesus
27:49
What do you see in the cross?
27:24, 25
Who killed Jesus
27:54
Confession of a Centurion
1. Is this the Way to Treat a King? 27:15-44
Need: Look what we did to the one who entered Jerusalem as a king! We took off our coats to honor him, waved branches in token of victory and sang praises. Five days later the King was on a cross.
Outline: Is this the way to treat a king?
a. Rejected him for a criminal (Barabbas) - vv. 15-23.
b. Brutally mistreated him - vv. 27-31.
c. Mocked him as a king - vv. 39-44.
d. Murdered him - vv. 33-37.
2. Words to the Cross. 27:40-53
Need: We usually gather on Good Friday to listen to the words spoken from the cross. These words tell us something about the true nature of Jesus. What about the words spoken to the cross? They tell us something about ourselves.
Outline: Words spoken to the cross.
a. Common people: "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross" - 27:40.
b. Consecrated leaders: "He saved others; himself he cannot save" - 27:41, 42.
c. Curious spectators: "Let's see what will happen" - 27:49.
d. Confession of a Centurion: "Truly this man was the Son of God" - 27:54.
3. What Is Your Confession? 27:54
Need: The cross produced various reactions. What is yours? "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?" Now that you have again witnessed and relived the Passion, what is your confession?
a. Prophet: "This man is calling Elijah" - 27:47.
b. Martyr: "This was an innocent man" - Luke 23:47.
c. Messiah: "Truly this man was the Son of God" - 27:54.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 50:4-9a
The Word of the Cross. Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 27:46
Need: There is more than one way to kill a cat, so they say. For Jesus, death did not come only by physical torture. Probably the mental, emotional and spiritual suffering were greater. Pilate was amazed that Jesus died so early. The pain greater than the physical dealt with his heart. In Lesson 1 the Servant suffers shame and disgrace: the pulling out of his beard and spitting in his face. The depth of Jesus' non-physical suffering was in his cry. "My God, why?" It is the only word of the cross reported by Matthew and the only word given in the original tongue, Aramaic.
Outline: Consider the real hurt of the cross.
a. Cry of loneliness - "forsaken."
b. Cry of misunderstanding - "why?"
c. Cry of alienation of sin - "me" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Lesson 2: Philippians 2:5-11
1. "Even Death on a Cross." 2:8
Need: Jesus' death was no ordinary death. Paul emphasized this when he says, "even death on a cross." Death on a cross was the worst possible death man could experience. Regardless of how bad a Roman was, he was not crucified. The cross was reserved for slaves, criminals and aliens. Our people need to realize the horror of that cross that they might thank and praise God for the price paid for sin.
Outline: What death on a cross meant.
a. Worst possible physical torture (body).
b. Shame of social rejection (mind).
c. Agony of divine forsakenness (soul).
2. Going Down to Go Up! 2:5-11
Need: You are waiting for an elevator. The elevator arrives. You want to go up but it is going down. You get on it and go down before you can go up. This is what happened to Christ and what needs to happen to us. Christ came down to earth, humility, to servanthood, and to death where he reached the bottom. Then he rose, ascended and was exalted to the right hand of God. A Christian also goes with Christ down to death in the waters of baptism and then rises and lives with Christ. To go up, one must first go down. They who humble themselves shall be exalted.
Outline: What it means to go down to go up -
a. Going down with Christ - vv. 5-8.
b. Going up with Christ - vv. 9-11.
Yahweh's servant faces suffering confident of his help. This pericope constitutes the third of the four servant songs in Isaiah. Yahweh's servant hears his voice and is therefore fortified with determination to suffer mental agony in terms of ridicule, false accusations, humiliation and shame. He suffers confidently because Yahweh will vindicate, help and pronounce him innocent.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 45:21-25 (E)
Turn to God and be saved.
Lesson 2: Philippians 2:5-11 (C, E, L); Philippians 2:6-11 (RC)
Jesus' humiliation and God's exaltation of him. Paul is pleading for unity in the Philip-pian congregation. He uses Jesus as an example of humility. In this pericope Paul shows the dual reality of the humanity and divinity of Jesus. His deity is indicated in the words "in the form of God" and "equally with God." His humanity is expressed in the phrases, "emptied himself," "the likeness of men," "in human form," "obedient unto death." This humility, obedience and self-renunciation led to Christ's exaltation by God who gave him a name above all names - "Lord." It is God's will that every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.
Gospel:
Matthew 27:11-54 (C, L); Matthew (26:36-75) 27:1-54 (55-66) (E); Matthew 26:14-27:66 (RC)
This is the story of Jesus' trial before Pilate, the scourging, crucifixion and the centurion's confession. The amount of material for preaching on the Gospel Lesson alone, even with the short form, is overwhelming. Out of this mass of material, certain impressions are gained. First it is not a matter of how but who dies on the cross. Matthew wants us to see that the Messiah was crucified. Next, we are impressed with the silence of Jesus throughout his trial and suffering. His only word was a cry of desolation, "My God, why ..." His silence was the result of his obedience to the Father's will for him to be wounded for our transgressions. Third, we note the fact that Jesus was tempted on the cross as he was in the wilderness, "If you are the Son of God ..." Again, because of obedience, he stayed on the cross. Last, we hear an unbiased confession by one who was totally objective, "Truly this was the Son of God." It is the only honest and fair conclusion one can reach after standing at the foot of the cross.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 31:9-16 (C, L) - "Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress (v. 9)."
Psalm 22:1-21 (E) - "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me (v. 1)?"
Prayer Of The Day
"Almighty God, you sent your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take our flesh upon him and to suffer death on the cross. Grant that we may share in his obedience to your will and in the glorious victory of his resurrection."
Hymn Of The Day
"A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth"
Theme Of The Day: Life Out of Death
Gospel - Jesus suffers the horrors of crucifixion - Matthew 27:11-54
Lesson 1 - God's servant suffers willingly because of his trust in God - Isaiah 50:4-9a
Lesson 2 - As an obedient servant Jesus humbles himself to die on a cross - Philippians 2:5-11
The Passion is readily evident in these Lessons. The Gospel gives the history of the passion beginning with Jesus' trial before Pilate. Lesson 1 speaks of suffering in terms of disgrace. Lesson 2 refers to Jesus' humiliation as a suffering servant to the point of death. The Prayer mentions Jesus' coming "to suffer on the cross." The Psalms deal with the psalmist's sorrow, sighing and misery. The Hymn is related to the Passion.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS
Gospel:
Matthew 27:11-54
1. The cross was no accident. Throughout the Passion history there is reflected again and again that all of this was in fulfillment of the scriptures. The suffering of the Christ was according to a divine plan for a divine purpose.
2. A man in charge. A review of the Matthean accounts shows Jesus suffering and dying like a king. Jesus was always in charge. In him there was a dignity, poise and serenity that make you know he has everything in control.
3. The awfulness of sin. In this account we can see the terrible faces of sin in the people involved: betrayal, denial, expediency, sadism, cruelty of torture. On the cross we observe the most horrible price of sin - forsakenness. Jesus' cry of dereliction reveals how low Jesus had to descend to carry the weight of sin - a sense of God's abandonment.
4. Confusion. The cross produces a response. It is not an ordinary death which might cause only sympathy. There is a positive response by those with at least neutral eyes as expressed by a professional soldier. "Truly this was the Son of God."
Lesson 1: Isaiah 50:4-9a
1. Disgrace. The suffering of the Messiah was not only physical but mental and emotional. This may be a worse form of hurt - hurt feelings. The servant as a faithful follower of God endures shameful treatment. His enemies pull out his beard and spit in his face. Jesus endured this form of suffering: the soldiers dressed him as a king; the superscription above his head; crucified between two criminals; exposed naked before a crowd; taunted and mocked, "If you are the Son of God ..."
2. Confidence. The Servant is successful in taking the suffering because of his confidence in God's presence and help. God was near and ready to help. Though God allows suffering, he sustains the sufferer who suffers for his sake. When Jesus cried, "My God, why?" we sense the trauma and tragedy of God's apparent withdrawal.
Lesson 2: Philippians 2:5-11
1. Humiliation and exaltation. Because Jesus came down to the humility of the cross, Jesus was raised in exaltation. They are two sides of a coin. Jesus taught that he who humbles himself shall be exalted, and the reverse also applies. During Holy Week we watch Jesus stooping to the lowest level by dying a criminal's most horrible death, and on Easter he is raised to glory. His exaltation will not be complete until every knee shall bow and every tongue confess him as Lord.
2. Emptiness. Jesus emptied himself of his pre-existent glory, majesty and power that he might fit into the confines of a human being. Though he was the Son of God, he surrendered his divine attributes for the finitude of man.
PREACHING POSSIBILITIES
Preaching Problems on Lent 6
The new lectionary has moved Passion Sunday from the fifth to the sixth Sunday in Lent. Passion Sunday is combined with Palm Sunday. Can both be celebrated at the same time? Is this possible for preaching? Holy Week with the reading of the Passion history has been squeezed into one Sunday. The reason for this is the change in the church and the world. Because of lack of attendance, traditional daily Holy Week services are not held in many churches except on Maundy Thursday which is for the Eucharist, with only a meditation because of the length of the service, and a Good Friday service, either an ecumenical three-hour service with meditations on the last words of the cross or a Tenebrae service without a sermon. For all practical purposes, therefore, if the majority of our people are to hear the message of the cross, it must be on Lent 6.
1. Observe Palm Sunday. How can we not observe it after centuries of observance with the blessing and distribution of palms and confirmation? To satisfy this need, rubics suggest a Palm observance at the beginning of the service with the procession, distribution of palms and the reading of the traditional Palm Sunday Gospel. In this sense, Palm Sunday is considered the prelude to the Passion, the narthex to Holy Week and curtain-raiser on the cross.
2. Palm and Passion Sunday? In observing both, the preacher faces the problem of time. Can he observe both in one hour plus a few minutes?
a. The problem of long lections. With the Palm Sunday Gospel, it means four lessons. The Gospel for Passion Sunday is two chapters long.
b. Extra items for the day. Confirmation? Reception of new members? Infant baptism? Extra choir music? Distribution of palms? Must the sermon suffer by being cut to a brief meditation?
THREE LESSONS
Isaiah 50:4-9a; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 27:11-54
You and the Suffering Servant
Need: There is more than enough suffering in the world. As Job said, "Man is born to trouble." Why good people are called upon to innocently suffer has never been answered satisfactorily. Repeatedly Paul refers to our sharing in the sufferings of Christ. Suffering is a fact of life, but it is not a matter of why but how we suffer. In our Lessons of this Passion Sunday we can learn how to suffer with Jesus as our model.
Outline: How to be God's suffering servant -
a. The silent sufferer - Gospel - Matthew 27:11-54.
b. The willing sufferer - Lesson 1 - Isaiah 50:4-9a.
c. The humble sufferer - Lesson 2 - Philippians 2:5-11.
Gospel:
Matthew 27:11-54
In this long pericope, we have many opportunities to choose a text and subject. What one chooses depends upon the Spirit's guidance and the local church needs.
Text
Subject
Text
Subject
27:11
Are you the king of the Jews?
27:32
The cross of compulsion
27:12-13
The silence of Jesus
27:38
How is Jesus' death different?
27:19
The voice of conscience
27:42
Helped by helplessness
27:21
The people's choice
27:46
The word of the cross
27:22
What to do with Jesus
27:49
What do you see in the cross?
27:24, 25
Who killed Jesus
27:54
Confession of a Centurion
1. Is this the Way to Treat a King? 27:15-44
Need: Look what we did to the one who entered Jerusalem as a king! We took off our coats to honor him, waved branches in token of victory and sang praises. Five days later the King was on a cross.
Outline: Is this the way to treat a king?
a. Rejected him for a criminal (Barabbas) - vv. 15-23.
b. Brutally mistreated him - vv. 27-31.
c. Mocked him as a king - vv. 39-44.
d. Murdered him - vv. 33-37.
2. Words to the Cross. 27:40-53
Need: We usually gather on Good Friday to listen to the words spoken from the cross. These words tell us something about the true nature of Jesus. What about the words spoken to the cross? They tell us something about ourselves.
Outline: Words spoken to the cross.
a. Common people: "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross" - 27:40.
b. Consecrated leaders: "He saved others; himself he cannot save" - 27:41, 42.
c. Curious spectators: "Let's see what will happen" - 27:49.
d. Confession of a Centurion: "Truly this man was the Son of God" - 27:54.
3. What Is Your Confession? 27:54
Need: The cross produced various reactions. What is yours? "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?" Now that you have again witnessed and relived the Passion, what is your confession?
a. Prophet: "This man is calling Elijah" - 27:47.
b. Martyr: "This was an innocent man" - Luke 23:47.
c. Messiah: "Truly this man was the Son of God" - 27:54.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 50:4-9a
The Word of the Cross. Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 27:46
Need: There is more than one way to kill a cat, so they say. For Jesus, death did not come only by physical torture. Probably the mental, emotional and spiritual suffering were greater. Pilate was amazed that Jesus died so early. The pain greater than the physical dealt with his heart. In Lesson 1 the Servant suffers shame and disgrace: the pulling out of his beard and spitting in his face. The depth of Jesus' non-physical suffering was in his cry. "My God, why?" It is the only word of the cross reported by Matthew and the only word given in the original tongue, Aramaic.
Outline: Consider the real hurt of the cross.
a. Cry of loneliness - "forsaken."
b. Cry of misunderstanding - "why?"
c. Cry of alienation of sin - "me" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Lesson 2: Philippians 2:5-11
1. "Even Death on a Cross." 2:8
Need: Jesus' death was no ordinary death. Paul emphasized this when he says, "even death on a cross." Death on a cross was the worst possible death man could experience. Regardless of how bad a Roman was, he was not crucified. The cross was reserved for slaves, criminals and aliens. Our people need to realize the horror of that cross that they might thank and praise God for the price paid for sin.
Outline: What death on a cross meant.
a. Worst possible physical torture (body).
b. Shame of social rejection (mind).
c. Agony of divine forsakenness (soul).
2. Going Down to Go Up! 2:5-11
Need: You are waiting for an elevator. The elevator arrives. You want to go up but it is going down. You get on it and go down before you can go up. This is what happened to Christ and what needs to happen to us. Christ came down to earth, humility, to servanthood, and to death where he reached the bottom. Then he rose, ascended and was exalted to the right hand of God. A Christian also goes with Christ down to death in the waters of baptism and then rises and lives with Christ. To go up, one must first go down. They who humble themselves shall be exalted.
Outline: What it means to go down to go up -
a. Going down with Christ - vv. 5-8.
b. Going up with Christ - vv. 9-11.
