It Is Time

Pastor’s Epistle—March, A.D. 2016 C

This is it, folks: the climax of our liturgy, Sunday of the year. Holy Week is upon us.

Jesus began His ministry around age 30, and for three and a half years He preached, healed, worked wonders, forgave sins and raised the dead. In so doing, He made quite a name for Himself. He became famous (infamous?) all around the Galilee down into Jerusalem, and all along the great trade route between continents known as the Way of the Sea. It was a time when many in both Judea and Rome were expecting a Messiah, a Savior of the world. Many wondered if it might be Jesus—or if Rome would have to put Him down, as she had so many other would-be rebel leaders.

As a faithful Israelite, Jesus regularly made the pilgrimage from Galilee in the north to Jerusalem in the south for all the great holy festivals. We know that He regularly celebrated Hanukkah and Passover in Jerusalem at least since His twelfth birthday. Yet this time was different. As the Passover neared, He came to stay, as was His custom, in Bethany, a moderately sized town—suburb, really—just two miles east of Jerusalem. Friends of Jesus from the Galilee had a house here, two sisters and a brother. This year, however, tragedy struck: Lazarus of Bethany died, much to the grief of his sisters Martha and Mary. At their pleadings, Jesus called Lazarus forth from the tomb, after having been dead four days in the Mediterranean heat.

Lazarus was not the first person whom Jesus brought from death to life, but this miracle was different. The other raisings had been private affairs, written off as waking people from sleep. This happened in full view of gathered crowds from Jerusalem, and caused something between a sensation and a panic. Days later, when Jesus came to Jerusalem, He was hailed as the rightful King, the Messiah and the heir of David. He entered the city on a donkey, as was the custom of ancient kings to show that they came in peace. This made Rome uneasy: He came in peace, yes, but He came as a King. It became clear to the authorities, both Roman and Israelite, that for them to avoid catastrophe, Jesus must die.

And so we enter Holy Week: our Lord’s entry into the city on Palm Sunday; the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday; the Crucifixion on Good Friday; and the Resurrection celebrated at our Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, as well as at sunrise and midmorning Easter Sunday. Let us gather for this, the Greatest Story Ever Told, and for the great Three Days of our Lord’s Passion and Resurrection. It is a story that spans life and death, sin and forgiveness, Heaven and hell, God and Man. It is a story that belongs to all peoples, and specifically to you.

This is what it’s all about, folks. The Cross. The Tomb. The Risen Christ. Come, let us worship the Lord.