We have just heard one hundred fourteen verses of the Greatest Story Ever Told and this powerful and compelling narrative started with four simple words: “when the hour came.” Yes, the hour did come and Jesus had been anticipating its arrival. Jesus knew quite early in his earthly ministry that he had a vocation to fulfill and that he was starting on a path to Jerusalem where he would suffer and be rejected before his eventual glorification. According to Luke 9:31 Moses and Elijah appeared during the Transfiguration and they spoke of Jesus’ departure which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. The teaching that Jesus did on his journey was so radical that when he arrived in Jerusalem he was arrested, tortured, and executed as a criminal by the Roman Empire. The Crucifixion was not merely a moment in history but it is an event that continues to have a major impact as its importance is not just limited to its historical context. As we just heard Jesus ate a Passover meal with his disciples. In the Jewish tradition Passover is not only a remembrance of the deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery but it is also a chance for future generations to live the story of the Exodus as their own story. In a similar manner, Christians are invited into the story of the Passion of the Christ not only to remember it as a historic event but also to live the story as a current reality. The hour came on a day almost two thousand years ago and the hour comes again during this Holy Week.
Each of the Passion narratives in the Gospels share commonalities but they also have some differences. I want to emphasize three things that are unique to Luke’s account of the Passion. First, in Luke Jesus offers the gift of forgiveness. From the cross Jesus says “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” As he is suffering on the cross Jesus offers a prayer for those who were involved in his crucifixion. In the immediate context the prayer is for the Roman soldiers who are carrying out this death sentence but I think that it also includes us. We live in need of forgiveness each and every day. We are complicit in systems that pollute the environment, that leave many people without adequate housing, healthcare, and nutrition, and that result in the oppression of minority communities. We do not always know what we are doing and we are not always aware of the impact that our behavior has on the lives of others. Therefore, we live in constant need of God’s forgiveness.
In addition to forgiveness Jesus also offers us the promise of salvation. When the repentant criminal asked Jesus to remember him, Jesus told him that “today you will be with me in Paradise.” In the midst of suffering and agony Jesus remains focused on his mission. Jesus has come into the world to save the world. If we are willing to leave our sinful ways and turn toward Jesus, we see that salvation is a reality just as it was for the repentant criminal. In even the darkest moments like times of war, pandemic, and economic turmoil Jesus remains focused on saving us. Yes, Jesus remembers us no matter how bleak things seem to be.
Finally, when we encounter Jesus, we are changed and transformed. Many in the crowd that day came out to see a spectacle. They cried out “away with this fellow!” and “crucify, crucify him!” At the end of this Passion narrative the mood of many in the crowd had been altered. After Jesus died Luke tells us that when the crowds had seen what had taken place, they returned home beating their breasts. By the end of the Passion story those in the crowd who were crying for blood now appear to be repentant. The crowds who had shown up for the spectacle are now contrite. These people who witnessed the Crucifixion and the suffering of Jesus were changed by seeing these events. When we encounter our Lord and Savior Jesus, our lives and perspectives are changed.
How has the hour come in your life?Do you feel the power of the gifts of forgiveness, salvation, and transformation that Jesus is offering to each and every one of us?This week I invite you to live the story of Holy Week not just as a remembrance but as a current reality as we gather as a community both in person and online to commemorate Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.Yes, the hour did come for Jesus but the story is not over as this week the hour comes again and we are invited to live fully in the knowledge that forgiveness, salvation, and transformation are freely available to us each and every day.