A Revelation

 

           God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. … My sermon is based on our second reading (Revelation 1:4-18). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

In 1983, I spent six weeks studying Polish language and culture in Lublin, Poland. We travelled at the beginning of the program and on the weekends, but most of our time was spent in Lublin learning the language, history and culture of Poland. After four weeks, a few of us decided to see a movie. The movie we chose was Escape from New York. As we waited in line to purchase tickets, a young Polish man asked us, “Are you here to learn English?” I answered, “No. This is the only movie that’s playing.” Of course, Snake Plissken did not speak Polish; the movie was dubbed with subtitles.

I mention Escape from New York because it is an entertaining apocalyptic movie. The genre of apocalyptic movies does not so much match the primary definition of the word apocalypse – something viewed as a prophetic revelation – but it skirts the latter definitions – a large, disastrous fire or a great disaster.

The origin of apocalypse comes to us from the Greek apokalyptein meaning to uncover, disclose or reveal. Apo means off or away from, and kalyptein means to cover or conceal. Only in 1858 did the word apocalypticism become associated with the belief in an imminent end of the present world. Apocalypse is also the title we give to Revelation.

There is an enormous difference between what we see on theater and television screens, and what we read in the Bible. The former is entertainment, and the latter is God’s plan: a message that Christ’s victory will never be overcome by evil no matter how scary it is. That said, today, I will spend some time on the difference between public and private revelation, and John’s letter to First century Christians. And since we will be reading the Book of Revelation during the Easter Season, I will address various themes and topics along with examining the passage for the day.

Revelation is communication of some truth by God to humans through means which are beyond the ordinary course of nature.[1] God speaks to His creatures through angels or prophets – Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Malachi – or a dream. The essence of this revelation is that it is the direct speech of God to man. God may use supernatural means to affirm truths about natural laws, the mysteries of our faith or how to worship (as opposed to worship through natural religions).

There are public revelations, which are contained in the Bible and transmitted by the Church. Public revelation closed with the death of the last Apostle. Private revelation regularly occurs among Christians. For example, in the movie, Father Stu, there are a couple of private revelation scenes that he experienced. Private revelations mean something for the recipient, and hopefully, are not misinterpreted, but none of them are binding for other Christians. Public revelation, for example, what Jesus taught, is binding. Private revelation, something revealed to an individual today, is not binding.

Now, what about the Book of Revelation? It is the last book in the Bible, but it is a letter and not a book. By letter, I do not mean a private letter that you may receive from a loved one or your attorney. Those are meant for your eyes only and should not be read in the same vein as Revelation.

This letter was written to the churches of Asia. In verse three, we read, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” It was read aloud in the gathered community of faith who offered praise and prayers to God. Imagining this letter being read to a congregation might be like a group of people who gathered to listen to the original radio broadcast of Orson Welles on October 30, 1938. A public reading of Revelation evokes feelings comparable to those evoked by the public reading of War of the Worlds.

Like most letters, this one has an author and a particular group of readers. Now, without debating the identity of the author (most agree it is John who wrote the Gospel and three Letters), why did John depart from his earlier style and write apocalyptically? Why not address the churches as Paul did to the Philippians or Corinthians? To answer that, let’s briefly examine the audiences.

The letter is addressed to seven churches in modern Turkey: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. These churches were established by Paul and his co-workers during the fifties of the first century. Pauline Christianity was well established by the time this letter was written, and Ephesus was the center of Paul’s work.[2] Colossians 4:16 instructs Christians to read his letter in the church of the Laodiceans. Like others, these two were established congregations following Paul’s teaching.

What happened that John found it necessary to address these congregations forty years later? A lot. First, Rome suppressed an uprising in Jerusalem between 66-70 A.D. People were displaced. Jews and Jewish-Christians migrated to Turkey and settled among these cities. Because the Temple and religious authorities were then destroyed, Jews began to question their identity and ask what it meant to be a Jew. Christians got caught up in these conflicts.

Jews and Christians began referring to Rome as Babylon since Rome besieged and destroyed Jerusalem just as the Babylonians did centuries before.[3] We find this in the closing of First Peter, “She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings.”[4]

The people of the Roman Empire lived through other wars. The Parthians (62) defeated the Romans. The Roman Army fought rebels in Gaul (68) and Germania (69). If the people were not impacted by wars, they were by several famines. And in 79, Vesuvius erupted and buried Pompeii and other neighboring towns creating a cloud of darkness throughout the Mediterranean.

Pagans came to terms with this by turning to philosophy, their own religions and superstition. Christians pondered what it meant in such a cataclysmic world to claim that God was sovereign, and that Jesus was his anointed king.[5]

Another problem Christians faced was suspicion. They were considered adherents to a sect that appealed primarily to the lower classes, a sect that had no history or glorious institutions. Instead of public buildings, Christians met in private homes on days that were not a public holiday and were suspected to be unpatriotic. When they spoke of eating and drinking Christ’s Body and Blood, people thought they were cannibals. Their practice of love was grossly misunderstood. Their leader was crucified by the government as a rebel and an enemy of the state. Because they attracted so many slaves, Christians as a group held no political power. Unlike the pagans, they worshipped no “gods,” and were thus seen as atheists. Suspiciously viewed as outsiders, Christians soon considered themselves outsiders.

Christians were victims of mob plundering and violence. In Hebrews we read, “You had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. … In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.”[6] In First Peter, we read, “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. … Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.”[7] Peter later exhorted Christians to resist their opponent, the devil, and to be firm in their faith, “knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”[8] Beset with all these troubles, it is easy to understand why Christians began to ask, “Who are we?”

Even though Christians considered themselves the true Israel of God, since Abraham was the father of all who believed, the Jews did not share this perspective. When Christians sought the same protection from the Roman Empire that was afforded to Jews, both Jews and Gentiles rejected them. This influenced John’s prophetic response. But wait, there’s more! Before I move on to today’s passage, next week I will begin with persecution and emperor worship.

Looking at our passage, we see that revelation comes from God the Father. By writing “him who is and who was and who is to come,” a reminder of how God identified Himself to Moses in Exodus (3:14), he states that God is continually present now, as he was in the past and always will be in the future.[9] He also emphasized that the Father is the first among equals. This is a theme that runs throughout Revelation.

The seven spirits are a reference to the Holy Spirit. In biblical thought, the number seven symbolizes God. It is the sum of the number three, which symbolized God (Trinity Δ), and the number four, which symbolizes creation. Seven symbolizes the God of creation. Because God rested on the seventh day, the number refers to perfection, completion and holiness, especially in reference to God’s activities and creative works. John wrote of the seven stars, lamps, horns and eyes. Through these, God is present with his creation through the sevenfold presence of his Spirit. The seven churches, then, are under the spirit of God.[10]

Revelation also comes from Jesus Christ, the conqueror of death and ruler of the kings of the earth. Jesus was faithful in his messianic mission and went to his death but was the first to rise from the dead. John described him as the one who set people free from their sins and made them a kingdom for God. This kingdom of priests offers worship through Christ to God the Father by the Spirit.

This explicit referencing to the Trinity is like an imprimatur on the entire Bible because there will not be another word spoken until Christ comes at the end. All God’s people must listen for the time is near – the time of judgment, but more importantly, the time of blessing in the presence of the exalted Christ.

The overarching message of Revelation is: “Remain true to your call. Give no ground to the forces of evil. The challenges and sufferings you face are daunting, but a share in the Lord’s permanent victory is guaranteed for everyone who perseveres.”[11]

So, how does Revelation apply to our lives today? We may not live under the curse of war, as do Christians in Ukraine. We may not live in the grasp of a regime that overtly oppresses Christians, as people do in North Korea, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Libya or dozens of other countries.

This, however, is what I see. Recall that I started this sermon by telling a story that happened 40 years ago, That’s the span of time between Paul’s letters and John’s revelation. As changes occurred in those seven churches during a period of 40 years, changes occurred here too. There has been an outright attack to destroy the family, fatherhood, marriage, biological sexes and life itself. Christians know that we fight against a closed media that ignores, maligns or suppresses competing data. Power and control are the emphasis, not debate, real science or reason. For instance, in 2021, worldwide there were 3.5 million deaths attributed to Covid 19, and 43 million abortions.[12] While both are tragic, abortion is preventable, but sadly it is the choice some make, and others celebrate.

A lot has changed in America, in this congregation, and in your life. At times, we are like the Christians of First century Turkey wondering about our identity and increasingly seeing ourselves as the world’s outsiders. If so, take heart.

During Lent we considered Christ’s words of encouragement to His disciples. We read how He comforted them and told them that His death was not His final act but, His victory over the powers of darkness. All this was done so that in Jesus we might have peace in God's Son who overcame the world for us.

In a world filled with tension and uncertainties, God steps into our lives. The revelation John passed along to the seven churches – that Jesus is God's faithful Witness, the Firstborn of the dead, the Ruler of kings on earth – is God's message for us, too. Jesus will come again—in God's time. This is what the early churches needed to hear – that the One who “freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom” is coming back. When He does, He will take us to live and be with Him forever.[13]

Friends, as you live in this world, know that evil takes on many forms today and in the future. The devil is not limited in his ways to persuade people from heeding God’s message, but he cannot overcome what Christ did for us, does for us, and will do for us. Do not live fearfully, but hopefully. As you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus the Risen Lord. Amen. Alleluia!

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[1] See more on revelation at https://cyclopedia.lcms.org/ and https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/.

[2] M. Eugene Boring, Revelation. Louisville: John Knox Press (1989), pp. 8f. See Acts 19.

[3] Boring, p. 10. See 2 Kings 25

[4] 1 Peter 5:13.

[5] Boring, p. 11.

[6] Hebrews 10:34; 12:4.

[7] 1 Peter 4:14, 16.

[8] 1 Peter 5:9.

[9] Louis A. Brighton, Revelation. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House (1999), p. 40.

[10] Brighton, pp. 41f.

[11] Joseph A. Mindling, “Reading Revelation: How to read—and not read—the Bible’s most puzzling book,” The Word Among Us.

[12] Carrie Gress, “Second-Wave Feminists Pushed the Sexual Revolution to End America, And It’s Working,” The Federalist, April 19, 2022.

[13] Paul Schreiber, “From then until Now,” Lutheran Hour Ministries Dail Devotion, April 20, 2022.

Last Word

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. … My sermon is entitled The Last Word and is based on the Seven Last Words of Jesus. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

As I was writing this, I saw an interview with Richard John Neuhaus regarding his book, “Death on a Friday Afternoon” which is about the last words of Jesus from the Cross. It made me pause and reflect on what my last words might be.

Have you ever thought of what your last words might be? You may not be able to speak for several months, days or hours before you pass. So, maybe your last words might be as equally nonsensical as my mother’s, “Come here. Pick up my pipe. Pick up my lip.” She died several days later.

Maybe your last words would be akin to those of Beethoven, “Friends, applaud. The comedy is over.” Or those of the famous seer, Nostradamus, “Tomorrow at sunrise I shall no longer be here.” Churchill said, “I’m bored with it all.” Sinatra, “I’m losing it.” Ben Franklin, “A dying man can do nothing easy.” Drummer Buddy Rich died after surgery in 1987. As he was being prepped for surgery, a nurse asked him, “Is there anything you can’t take?” Rich replied, “Yeah, country music.” Mother Teresa said, “I love you, Jesus.” The Martyr, St. Lawrence taunted those burning him to death by saying, “Turn me over. I’m done on this side.” And because we are Lutheran, the Good Doctor said, “Into Thy hands I commend my spirit! Thou hast redeemed me, O God of truth.”

The sayings of Jesus on the cross are also known as the Seven Last Words of Christ. They are gathered from the four Gospels. Since the 16^th century, these sayings have been widely used in sermons on Good Friday, and entire books have been written on theological analysis of them. The Seven Last Words of Christ are an integral part of the liturgy in the Anglican, Catholic, Protestant and other Christian traditions. Several composers have set the sayings to music. Today, I would like to spend a few moments on each.

The First Word is Jesus speaking to his Father regarding those crucifying him: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” We find this Word in Luke 23:34, immediately after he is hung upon the Cross.

The Second Word is from John 19:26-27. John recorded that after the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier, and then cast lots for his tunic, which fulfilled the prophecy that reads, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” Witnessing this – because they were standing by the cross – were Jesus’ mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” The two sentences addressed to both his mother, Mary, and his beloved disciple, John, are considered one Word.

Then we go back to Luke. Some number this second and the previous episode as the Third Word, but there is no strict rule on this. To the repentant thief: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”[1] At the ninth hour: “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”[2]

In order to fulfill Scripture, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”[3] After receiving a drink of vinegary wine, “It is finished.”[4]And as Jesus was dying: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”[5] If I chose to preach on all seven of Jesus’ Words on the Cross, we would be here for three hours, and you might consider crucifying me. So, I am limiting my sermon to Three Words from John’s Gospel.

As I mentioned a moment ago, the First Word in John is Jesus’ address to his mother and his beloved disciple. In this scene there are three groups of people at the cross. The chief priests complained hostilely about the title “The King of the Jews” hung over Jesus’ head. The soldiers treated Jesus as a criminal and divided his clothes. The third group are friends and disciples.

The relationship between Jesus and each group goes like this. He is triumphant over the chief priests. Unbeknownst to the soldiers, Jesus orchestrated them to fulfill pertinent Scripture passages. The third group is reconstituted into a new family relationship.

While one can discuss how close or far away this third group stood, and whether there were three or four women present, we know that one of them, Mary Magdelene, not only witnessed Jesus’ death and burial, but also went to the tomb to anoint the body and later met the Risen Lord. Our chief interest, however, is the Word spoken to Jesus’ mother and the disciple he loved.

It is also interesting to note the men present at the scene. In Mark, the Evangelist bolstered his theme of human weakness and failure during the Passion.[6] Luke recorded men with an optimistic portrayal of fidelity.[7] In John, the Beloved Disciple embodied ideal discipleship that never wavered. Even Jesus’ brothers, mentioned in chapter two, no longer believed in him.[8] The Beloved Disciple is the only faithful male.

In regard to his mother, this is the first time she appears in John since the wedding at Cana in chapter two. This long absence makes one wonder about her relationship with her son, which seems ambiguous until now. Here, she stands with the other women who are clearly attached to Jesus even to his death; and she is about to be put into a close relationship with that ideal disciple.[9]

Jesus’ words to her in chapter two were that the two of them had nothing in common. Here, his words have the opposite meaning. “Woman, behold you son,” is not Jesus leaving his mother in the earthly care of John. Disciples, as Jesus said to them earlier, are not of this world.[10] His Word puts her in an intimate relationship with the ideal disciple. That the mother of Jesus is now the disciple’s mother and that he has taken her to his own is a symbolic way of describing how one related to Jesus by flesh became related to him by the Spirit. It’s about how Jesus’ natural family is related to a family created by discipleship. His natural brothers are replaced by beloved disciples, who by becoming the sons of Jesus’ mother become Jesus’ brother. Through the Spirit, Jesus enlarged his family significantly and added diversity to discipleship.

The words that precede the next Word, “I thirst,” read, “After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” I mention this because in January, I preached on John and mentioned the Book of Signs (chapters 1-12) and the Book of Glory (13-21). The Book of Glory begins with these words, “Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father.”[11] This is significant because John lets his readers know that Jesus knew when his work was finished. The opening of the Last Supper and the death of Jesus on the cross are all part of the same “hour.”

When Jesus said, “I thirst,” he provoked a response that is found in Psalm 69. There we read, “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.”[12]He is responsible for the reaction to offer him vinegary wine and fulfillment of the Scriptures, but there is no mention of who offered the wine. Without debate, most agree the soldiers gave Jesus the wine since they had access to it and him. Yet even they were not aware that their actions were fulfilling Scripture under Jesus’ direction, who was orchestrating the passion as part of laying down his own life.[13]

You may recall that after Jesus reprimanded Peter for cutting off Malchus’ right ear, he asked, “Shall I not drink the cup the Father gave me?” Jesus indicated that he wanted to drink this cup of suffering.[14] When he took what was offered him on the cross, he finished his commitment. He spoke his Last Word, “It is finished.”

When Jesus spoke his Last Word, he fulfilled Psalm 16, “A company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet — I can count all my bones — they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”[15] He also fulfilled the theme of sprinkling the lamb’s blood in Exodus. As Lamb of God Jesus took away the world’s sin, fulfilling and completing the role of the paschal lamb in Old Testament theology.[16]

Finally, The Last Word. My internet search provided The Last Word as a book, a movie with Shirley McLaine, several bars and a cocktail. The dictionary defines the phrase as the final decision or best one of its kind. Once again, the internet disappointed me. The Last Word I am thinking of today is a question. What is the last word you want to hear? To answer that, I turn to a memory, Scripture and imagination.

Memory. On the night of April 16, 2003, I received a phone call from my mother. After she said, “Paul,” she stopped. She couldn’t say anything. Then she said, “Here’s Uncle Ted.” My dad’s brother informed me that my dad had died. The EMT said that dad had a massive heart attack and was dead before he hit the floor. Sometime later, my parishioner and friend, Dr. Bill Katz, told me that one in four people who suffer their first heart attack die.

April 16^th was Wednesday of Holy Week that year. I am sure that my dad planned to attend the annual Chrism Service on Holy Thursday morning at St. Paul’s Cathedral. He always did. On Tuesday of that week, he went to a Lenten penitential service and confession. On that Wednesday, he and my mom attended church in the morning before they did some grocery shopping. They visited his brother, Ted, who lived a few doors up the road, and stayed for dinner. They returned home and watched some TV before he went into the bedroom, prayed and started to get ready for bed before he fell asleep for good. It’s as if he knew the hour when he would die and prepared for it.

To be quite honest, even though my dad and I had a good relationship, we had a phone argument on the afternoon of Palm Sunday, just a few days earlier, and I am sure we would have patched it up by Easter. Unfortunately, that did not happen.

On the night dad died, I stayed overnight with my mom and returned to Oakmont in the afternoon for Maundy Thursday services. Good Friday came and went, as did Saturday’s Easter Vigil. In between, my brothers, mom and I planned dad’s funeral, picked out a casket and so on. I spent Easter Sunday morning preaching and leading worship, and Sunday afternoon greeting family members and friends at the funeral home.

I remember a bit of the sermon I preached, but I do not remember much else. Ironically, I remember that for many years prior to that Easter, I would tell people, “When I die, I want to be buried on Easter Monday because the church is decorated with so many flowers and live plants.” That was the day we buried dad.

Scripture and imagination. Preparing for this sermon, I wondered what last word dad heard. Then I thought about the last word I will hear or want to hear. How about you? There are many passages we might want to hear as we pass from here to eternity: Psalm 23, Simeon’s Nunc Dimittis. Families often choose Isaiah 25:6-9 and John 14:1-6 for a loved one’s funeral. Perhaps you would want to hear a hymn such as Amazing Grace or How Great Thou Art? My wife, Cindy, wants to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant. … Enter into the joy of your master.”[17]

Personally, I want to hear, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”[18] My friends, I hope none of us hears what the King says to those on his left, though that is what each of us deserves. Whatever the last word is, we will hear it only through the grace of God and the sweet, welcoming voice of our Savior.

As we observe the quiet of Good Friday and Holy Saturday, take some time to contemplate Jesus’ last words. Take time to prayerfully reflect on The Last Word you want to hear. As you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] Luke 23:43.

[2] Mark 15:34; Matthew 27:46.

[3] John 19:28.

[4] John 19:30.

[5] Luke 23:46.

[6] Mark 14:50-52.

[7] Luke 23:49ff.

[8] John 2:12; 7:3-5.

[9] Raymond E. Brown, S.S., The Death of the Messiah: From Gethsemane to the Grave, Volume Two. New York: Doubleday Press (1004), p. 1020.

[10] John 17:14.

[11] John 13:1.

[12] Psalm 69:21.

[13] Brown, p. 1075.

[14] John 18:11.

[15] Psalm 22:16-18.

[16] Brown, p. 1078.

[17] Matthew 25:21.

[18] Matthew 25:35-36.

Stations

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. … My sermon is entitled Three Stations and is based on our Gospel (Luke 22:1-23:56). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

Growing up Catholic and spending 20 years of my adult life as a priest, the word station was synonymous with Lent. Each Lent, our family attended Stations of the Cross every Friday at St. John the Baptist Church in Monaca. As a priest, I led Stations in every parish where I was assigned every Friday afternoon and evening during Lent.

Preparing for this year’s Holy Week, I was reminiscing about these Lenten practices and wondered if other denominations observe them as well. To my surprise, I discovered that not only do Anglican and Episcopalian churches have Stations of the Cross, but also some Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist and Evangelical churches. In fact, there is a Lutheran Church in Lawrenceville that has traditional stations, and another congregation that prays the Resurrection Stations during the Easter Season. Hence, three points: What is a Station? What are Scripture’s Stations? What is your Station?

The word station is both a verb and a noun. The latter is much more common. It is defined as a place or position in which something or someone stands or is assigned to stand or remain. It can refer to a person’s standing or rank. It is also a stopping place, such as a bus station or train station. In my work conducting background investigations of military personnel, I would review their duty stations. Likewise, firefighters and police officers are assigned to a particular station. One of my favorite comedy shows, Corner Gas, takes place at a gas station. Finally, everyone knows that Pittsburgh had the first radio stations. Station is a Latin term, statio, meaning the same thing it does in English, and is related to its root, sta, meaning to stand or be firm.

Regarding Stations of the Cross, also known as The Way of the Cross, Lutheran Pastor Gerhard Grabenhofer explains them this way. The Stations came into prevalent use in churches during the Middle Ages. The original Stations or Way of the Cross was the course Jesus walked on His journey to his crucifixion through the streets of Jerusalem. We know this route as Via Dolorosa or the Way of Sorrow. We do not know exactly when it became a practice for pilgrims to walk the Way when they visited Jerusalem, but probably in the 1300’s. When the Turks occupied the Holy Land, they prevented pilgrims from visiting sacred sites. The custom then arose of making simple replicas of the stations and erecting them outdoors or inside churches, and the Faithful could then follow the Way while remaining in their home countries.

By the sixteenth century, fourteen stations were adopted by nearly all churches. Today, pilgrims to the Holy Land may join in procession which follows the Way of the Cross, retracing Jesus’ steps, every Friday.[1] Since most of us will not make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, we can re-read the account of Jesus’ Way in the Scriptures.

You can read more about the Stations on your own, but now that I have explained them, let’s move to the next station, Scripture’s Stations. By Scripture’s Stations, I mean our passage today.[2] So, allow me to explain the traditional Stations as we find them in the Gospels.

Following the Last Supper and the sequence of events that occurred in the Upper Room, the Mount of Olives, and the high priest’s house, Jesus was dragged before the Sanhedrin, Pilate and then Herod, before being condemned to death. This condemnation to death is the First Station. The Second Station occurs not in the Synoptics (Matthew, Mark, Luke), but in John 19:17, where Jesus carried his cross. This is reminiscent of Genesis 22:6, which reads, “Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac. He himself carried the fire and the sacrificial knife, and the two of them walked on together.” The Third, Seventh and Ninth Stations mark three falls of Jesus, which are not mentioned in the Gospels, but given that the Fifth Station is Simon of Cyrene helping Jesus carry the cross, which is mentioned in the Synoptics, it is most likely that Jesus did collapse. I would imagine even the strongest of us would strain to carry a beam of wood after being whipped and beaten.

Although Simon is a minor figure in the Gospels, he is a major figure for us. Here’s why. It was customary in Jesus’ day for a condemned criminal to carry his own cross, and unusual for someone to be forced into service to help him. Luke does not explain why Simon was pressed into service, but his language suggests that Simon was some sort of disciple, fulfilling Jesus’ prophesy that a disciple must take up his own cross and follow him. We read this in Luke 9:23 and 14:27.

Mark’s Gospel tells us that Simon was the father of Rufus and Alexander. Rufus and his mother are mentioned in Paul’s Letter to the Romans (16:13). So, it is conceivable that Simon became acquainted with Jesus while carrying his cross and became a believer. We have all had conversations on the airplane or on vacation when we spent an hour or so with a stranger who impacted us to a degree. The experience of getting to know a condemned man would have had a greater impact on Simon. Becoming a believer, he could pass along the faith to Rufus.

Symbolically, each of us is Simon, forced to help Jesus carry the cross with love and reverence. As disciples, we know that Jesus’ journey began in Galilee (9:51), and that it ended in Jerusalem. We also know that Jesus created a new people through his teaching and table fellowship. And so, the story of Jesus’ passion is also the story of his followers, who like Jesus are seized and persecuted for their faith.

At this point, Luke adds six additional verses not found in Matthew or Mark. The Eighth Station, where Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem, are among the many people who were following Jesus. It is true that there were people calling for his crucifixion, but there were also people who turned to him in repentance. These are the same people who stood at the foot of the cross (23:48). So, like Simon, the daughters of Jerusalem represent the people of Jerusalem.

As they mourn and lament, Jesus turns to them as he turned to Peter (22:61). His words bring them from remorse to full repentance.[3] All of Jerusalem, Israel and humankind are guilty of rejecting the Messiah who must suffer. Jesus calls all to repent and believe as he warns them of what will happen if they do not.

There are two other Stations that are not in the Scriptures where Jesus meets his mother, and a woman named Veronica (a name meaning true icon) wipes his face. On the other hand, all Four Gospels report the last five Stations: Jesus is stripped of his clothes; he is nailed to the cross; he dies on the cross; Jesus’ body is taken down from the cross and laid in the tomb.

Before I get to my third point, let’s explore this question. Is there some significance that Protestant Christians have adopted the Stations as a form of common or personal prayer? Historically, Protestants have tended to reject the practices associated with the Stations of the Cross, largely because they were linked with indulgences. Over the past few weeks, I have read a lot about how Protestant pastors and theologians view the Stations of the Cross. The clearest writing came from Retired Air Force Chaplain Major Robin Stephenson-Bratcher. He wrote, “In our eagerness to celebrate Easter and the resurrection, Protestants often rush too quickly through Holy Week. … Too much of the week, especially as it draws to an end on Good Friday and Holy Saturday is much too messy for Christians accustomed to the language of triumph and praise. In doing so, we miss the tremendous significance of the Cross as something more than a symbol of the crucifixion and death of Jesus as prologue to the resurrection, or as a symbol of a theological doctrine of the atonement. As Jesus himself taught his disciples on more than one occasion, the Cross symbolizes something far more profound than suffering and death, and even more significant than theologies of the atonement.”

Continuing, he said that the Cross is about the power of love, the commitment of God to humanity, the faithfulness and grace of God that knows no limits and will yield to no boundary, which will risk even death itself for the sake of new life.

Most of us …  do not live in the triumph of Easter Sunday all the time, or even most of the time. Life simply does not work that way. No matter what victory we claim as Christians, the realities of life are too often difficult to bear even for people of Faith. We struggle on the journey and try to understand the inequities of life. We are misjudged and misunderstood by others. We suffer physical and emotional pain. We experience painful endings. Marriages fail. Children make destructive decisions. Friends betray us. Loved ones die. The world becomes dark and hopeless, like the world of Good Friday as Jesus journeyed to the Cross.

In Jesus’ journey to his Crucifixion on Good Friday, we see faithfulness during his Passion, perseverance amid endings, and courage in the midst of hopelessness. We too take up our own cross, and in accompanying Jesus on the Via Dolorosa, we gain courage from his commitment to the Father in that journey, from his courage to face what comes, and finally from the realization of the truth that with God endings become the building blocks of new beginnings.

The value in the Stations of the Cross lies in the simple twofold enacted confession. First, life is sometimes dark, painful, and brings endings. That reality will not go away even for the Son of God. Second, God does some of his best work in the darkness as we persist in the journey, even when that journey leads to Golgotha. Resurrection Sunday has no meaning without Good Friday. This journey reminds us of the darkness as a basis to celebrate the light.[4]

Finally, what is your Station? Earlier I offered definitions of the word. Station can be your status in life, your place, where you stand. Our stations differ and in time they change. Recently, I turned sixty-eight. My station in life has changed quite a bit over the last seven decades. Once upon a time, my station was a young person attending school with my brothers and schoolmates. I was learning subjects in school, how to play the trumpet and accordion, how to drive a standard transmission and dance the polka. My station was to be a young man.

Professionally, my station changed. I was a pastor and chaplain before becoming a nonprofit fundraiser. Personally, my station changed when I met Cindy and became her husband. In-laws and grandchildren offered the station of father-in-law and grandfather. You also offered me the station of pastor.

As a pastor, my primary interest remains for you to develop and sustain your prayer life, your relationship with our Triune God and with one another as members of Christ’s Church. At times, that is not an easy task. It’s not as difficult as carrying a cross to Calvary, but it does place a burden, an obligation on me because you are all at different stations in your lives. You are at a different station today than five years ago, and so is this congregation. Your life has changed dramatically in five years as individuals and a church, and hopefully, through all that your relationship with God and one another has deepened. That is why this station in my life as your pastor is just as important as husband, grandfather, brother, neighbor, friend and so on.

I see you like Simon, as one pressed into the service of helping Jesus bear his cross. Circumstances have changed your life. One minute you are going home and the next minute, you are thrust into a new situation, and your relationship with Christ and those around you will never be the same. That is why this hour – this moment – is the most important hour of your week. Like Simon of Cyrene, one moment, you are anonymous, and the rest of your life you are remembered as the one who bore the cross of Christ.

I see you as the women Jesus met. In moments of grief, sorrow, anger or depression, Jesus offers a word to you: a consoling word, an uplifting word, a word of forgiveness and mercy. You may never find yourself standing on the Via Dolorosa, but you need to hear God speak those words to you in your living room, the hospital room, the funeral home, and most importantly, in this church. My friends, I pray that you take time this week to enter Christ’s Passion by reading the Gospels. And I pray that wherever you are when you hear Jesus’ words that the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keeps your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] Explanation from Pastor Gerhard Grabenhofer, Faith Lutheran Church, Corning NY. This is an LCMS congregation.

[2] For a guide to the Traditional Stations and a Scriptural reference to each one, see this website: https://catholic-resources.org. A web search of Stations of the Cross prefaced by the denomination will provide churches which offer them as a form of prayer.

[3] Arthur A. Just, Jr., Luke 9:51-24:53. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House (1997), p. 918.

[4] Dennis Bratcher, “The Cross as a Journey: The Stations of the Cross for Protestant Worship.”