Acts 12 Sermon

There are many things that our culture is not very good at, but near the top of that list is grieving. Our culture is actually afraid of grief. Our culture, both secular and often times religious as well, is afraid of grief because it is afraid that if we were to name our grief, we’d collapse under its weight forever. We’re told that we can’t question, we can’t feel or express sorrow, anger, doubt, or frustration when life is not as it should be. No, we are told that no matter what’s happening in our lives, the most important thing is that we keep going. We’ve got to be strong, and our culture tells us that strong, stable people don’t succumb to grief.

But Church, this is not true; and Christians should not except the world’s characterization of strength for many reasons, but perhaps foremost of all because of Jesus himself. If we truly believe that Jesus is the fullness of God. If we truly believe that Jesus is the revelation of God’s presence with us. If we truly believe that Jesus shows us what it looks like to live as God intended all humanity to live, than we must look to him to know what it means to be strong and stable. And we know from the record of his life that Jesus was often grieved to his core.

When he heard news that his friend Lazarus had fallen ill and died, Jesus made his way to Bethany to be with the bereave family. And knowing that he would raise his friend from the grave, Jesus was greatly moved and deeply troubled until at last at the entrance to his friend’s tomb, Jesus wept, grieving over his friend.

On the night before his death, alone in the garden of Gethsemane, we’re told that Christ’s soul is again deeply troubled, and that he is in anguish as the hour of his crucifixion drew near. And on the cross, it was in sorrow and grief that Jesus quoted from the prayer book of his day, the 22nd Psalm, “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?”

Jesus, the one who was with God at the creation of the World, the Word-made-Flesh, who had unshakable trust in the Father, was not afraid to grieve that his Creation was not as it should be. But actually, it was through his trust and tears that God’s kingdom was launched. God’s kingdom was launched through trust and tears. And what we see in our text this morning, is that his Kingdom continues on in that character.