Sermon Tone Analysis

Theme: Confronting “power”

 

Let us pray.

Most holy, Lord God, we are sad this day; we call this day Good Friday, but it is hard to find the “good;” help us to see and understand the great sacrifice Jesus made for us and by so doing, we will remember that our sins are forgiven through his great love and we pray in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

“Residents of a small southwest Nebraska town have a question for state officials: You’re not doing anything with that old electric chair, are you?

The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled last year that the state’s use of the electric chair was unconstitutional because it amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.

Some people in McCook — population just under 8,000 — think ‘Old Sparky’ could be a tourist attraction and have offered to take it off the state’s hands.

“’If it’s sitting somewhere collecting dust, we have a place for it,’ said Duane Tappe, who said the chair could bring thousands of tourists to the town every year.

‘My wife thinks it’s a little — what’s the word — macabre,’ said Tappe, who's involved in the city’s Rotary Club and chamber of commerce.

‘But I would drive up the road to see it.

I mean, I drove all the way to Cawker City, Kansas, to see the (world’s largest) ball of twine.’

“The state’s last execution was in 1997.

“Tappe floated the idea of bringing the chair to McCook to state Senator Mike Christensen of Imperial, whose district includes McCook.

Christensen is asking the state for the chair.

‘You’re going to have people that think this is gross or disgusting, but fact is, it’s been part of Nebraska history, and you’ve got to preserve history,’ Christensen said.

“Tappe’s idea is to display the chair at a yet-to-be-built museum planned to honor George Norris, a Nebraska U.S. senator from 1913 until 1943.

Norris was the primary force behind the Rural Electrification Act, which brought electric service to rural areas across the country.

Tappe said he sees the chair as ‘one of the uses for electricity, whether that’s good or bad.’” (AP)

 

This idea is not so farfetched.

There is a museum in Texas for their retired electric chair.

Then there is the church.

Above me and to my left, there is a very large cross.

In a little while, I will bring in a cross so that those who wish to venerate it may come forward and do so.

So we could say that churches are museums of execution devices, crosses.

We even wear crosses.

If Jesus were alive in our time, we might be wearing electric chairs instead of crosses.

The Roman Empire had two forms of execution: beheading and crucifixion.

Roman citizens could not be crucified.

Only a governor or one of higher rank could order a crucifixion.

And then, crucifixion was only reserved for enemies of the state.

Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea.

He was the only one in the province who could order a crucifixion.

Jesus was not his first.

John gives us different take on the passion story.

Judas fades into the background as being irrelevant.

John gives more emphasis on Jesus’ trial before Pontius Pilate.

Jesus’ trial is powerful.

It is powerful in its telling.

It is powerful because the Son of God is on trial.

It is powerful because the judge, jury, and executioner represent the most powerful man in the world and the most powerful empire in the world.

It is powerful because it is a contest between God and humankind.

Jesus is arrested.

Jesus is tried by the religious authorities.

But those who seek Jesus’ life are in a quandary.

They lack the power to execute Jesus.

So they bring Jesus to the Roman governor, Pilate.

When Pilate expresses a distaste for dealing with a Jewish religious dispute, he asks the religious authorities to deal with Jesus themselves.

They reply that they are “not permitted to put anyone to death.”

John gives us the impression that Pilate wants to do what is right.

But Pilate’s view of what is right revolves exclusively around what is best for the empire.

Pilate does not see Jesus as a threat to the state.

Pilate begins his questioning of Jesus with the key question that matters to him, “Are you king of the Jews?”

In other words, are you assuming a ruling authority in a province of the Roman Empire?

Again Jesus typically replies the way he usually does by answering a question with a question.

In effect Jesus is asking, “Are you really concerned that I am a threat to Rome, or has someone else put you up to this?” Jesus suggests that Pilate is being manipulated into investigating a charge for which he has no evidence.

John is telling us that Jesus is in control of the situation.

If Jesus is to be executed it is only with his consent, even if someone else gives the order.

In John 10:17-18 Jesus says, “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.

No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.

I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again.

I have received this command from my Father.”

Pilate objects to Jesus’ question by saying that he is not a Jew and that it was Jesus’ own people who turned him over to Rome.

Jesus then answers Pilate’s question, “If I were the kind of king that you have in mind, my followers would be revolting in the land and trying to effect my release.”

Pilate’s political antenna perks up – so he thinks himself a king!

Jesus then tells Pilate that it is Pilate who says Jesus is a king.

Now, we too say Jesus is a king.

What does that mean for us?

I think it means that Jesus is over and above any earthly government or authority.

We may claim to be citizens of the United States, but that pales in comparison to our citizenship in heaven.

If our government or any government commands or compels us to do what we believe violates our faith, then the government is in the wrong and must not be obeyed.

Of course, there are consequences to this.

That is why many Christians were killed for their faith and continue to die for their faith.

We belong to Christ.

We live in the United States.

Fortunately, for us we have an amendment to the Constitution that guarantees that we may express our faith freely.

Jesus’ place in the world begins to dawn on Pilate, but events are spiraling out his control.

Jesus must die.

In the end, Pilate declares Jesus as king of the Jews and his execution is ordered.

Pilate never grasped what we know – Jesus is king of the universe.

Jesus is king of a place where he cannot stay dead, because Sunday is a comin’.

This is a brutal story.

The world throws all it can at Jesus.

But Jesus remains unfazed and triumphant.

Jesus gives us a glimpse of what it means for us in how we are capable of being transformed by the Holy Spirit.

We can be more present to the horrors of the world – to the suffering of the world – to the inhumanity of the world.

With God’s help we can confront the evils of the world and not be defeated.

We now pray: Gracious God and giver of all good gifts, we thank you for the gift of forgiveness, may we never cease to thank you for your forgiveness of us and may we always remember to forgive others, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught us forgiveness.

Amen.

[The Associated Press contributed to this sermon.]

Text: *John 18:1-19:42* (NRSV) \\ *18* After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples.

3 So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.

4 Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” 5 They answered, “Jesus of Nazareth.”a

Jesus replied, “I am he.”b Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.

6 When Jesusc said to them, “I am he,”d they stepped back and fell to the ground.

7 Again he asked them, “Whom are you looking for?”

And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”e

8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he.f

So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken, “I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me.” 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear.

The slave’s name was Malchus.

11 Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath.