November 18, 2010

"The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS." (Luke 23:35-38)

Picture for a moment a police officer on his beat, walking down the street. On one side of the street you have a law abiding citizen who sees that police officer, and feels a little extra safe and a little bit more at ease. One the other side of the street you have a law breaking citizen who sees that same police officer, and feels a little more apprehensive and a little more anxious. Same exact police officer - two different perspectives. Paul in his first letter to the church of God in Corinth provides two perspectives of Christ and His cross from their respective "sides of the street." "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18) In our Gospel Lesson for this Sunday, Luke gives us the perspective of Jesus the King of the Jews, from the side of the street that sees the cross of Christ and the message of the cross of Christ as foolishness - something to joke about. Let's also consider the perspective from the other side of the street that through faith we are on - the side of the street that views the cross of Christ as the power of God and our only hope of Salvation, our only hope of admittance into the King's Kingdom.

From the side of the street with the foolish perspective, the rulers looked and mockingly doubted the fact that Jesus was the true Son of God, they used the word "if" - "if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” When we survey the wondrous cross, from the other side of the street, through the eyes of faith we see a King who we know is the Son of God - no ifs ands or buts. Remember what God the Father in the voice from heaven said at Jesus' baptism? "And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

From the side of the street with the foolish perspective, the soldiers looked and mockingly doubted the fact that Jesus was a king. “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” They saw a "wanna-be" king who was all talk. How would this Jesus ever have a chance to rule when He would soon be dead? If Jesus was going to have an opportunity to rule, He would have to save Himself and come down from the cross. The soldiers failed to realize or understand what Jesus had told Pilate, "Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” (John 18:36) When we survey the wondrous cross, from the other side of the street, through the eyes of faith, we see a King who without question had the power to come down from the cross, but who instead chose to endure. Out of undeserved love, by sacrificing Himself, Jesus gave to all who have faith in Him the opportunity to be able to live under Him in His Kingdom that is from another place.

Remember what the angel told Mary when she first learned that she would be the mother of the Savior? Among other things, the angel told her precisely what the rulers and the soldiers mockingly questioned about Jesus - whether Jesus was God's Son and whether He would reign as a King. The angel said, "You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:31-33) The sign hanging over Jesus' head, that was put up by those on the side of the street with the foolish perspective, read, "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS." And while it was meant to sarcastically mock what appeared to be a pathetic reign, it actually couldn't have been more true. Jesus is the one who was long expected by David and Jacob and Abraham and their descendants. I am reminded of a verse of a children's Sunday school song, "Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had father Abraham, I am one of them and so are you, so let's all praise the LORD!" We probably don't have any of Abraham's blood running through our veins, but Spiritually speaking, we are son's of Abraham, we are "Jacob's descendants," and we are subjects in the King of the Jews' Kingdom. Jesus is our King too. Praise be to the LORD that because we are adopted subjects in His everlasting Kingdom, that we are able now to properly view His cross from the right "side of the street."

But if we are evaluating honestly, don't we sometimes find ourselves straying over to the other side of the street? Don't we sometimes have a little ruler, or a little soldier in us? One way we have a little ruler or a little soldier in us, is whenever we question why Jesus our King isn't exercising His authority over earthly issues as we think He should be. We have a little ruler or a little soldier in us whenever we start out our prayers (even if the thought is understood) with: "if you are really God, then you should be..."

Thankfully, God's Messiah - the Chosen One - stayed on the cross and made the final ransom installment for the debt that was created by all those times when we stray to the other side of the street. Because of Jesus' sacrifice, we aren't banished from His Kingdom. "The Son of Man did not come to be served," (as a ruling earthly king might be served) "but [He came] to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28) Jesus played the role of servant during his first stint on this earth, but Jesus will return, and next time the King will come in all His glory to take us, who through faith and because of what He did for us on the cross, to live as subjects in His Kingdom that's outta' this world and that will never end! Amen! Come King Jesus and take us to your Kingdom. Amen!