Saturday, March 7, 2009
Mark 8:31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
THE PASSION OF JESUS POINTS TO EASTER
When you consider the suffering and death of Jesus, what do you see? Many times the moods of our Lenten services are very somber. Most of the hymns that we sing have a very sad tone to them. Certainly we should be grieved as we are reminded that our sin caused the great pain and agony of our Savior. We should realize the high cost of our deliverance from sin and eternal death in hell. But Jesus also wants us to understand the meaning of His passion for us.
When Jesus told His disciples of His upcoming passion and death, He didn't leave them with the thought of sadness and defeat. He always concluded with words of hope: "and after three days rise again." During Lent the resurrection is in the background, but it's there, just as Jesus had always said. We have been reminded that the season of Lent is preparatory for the resurrection of our Savior on Easter.
The disciples didn't understand the meaning of the sufferings and death of Jesus. When Jesus died, they saw it as a great tragedy and not a victory. Is this how we should view the passion of Jesus? The disciples didn't understand the meaning of His death until after He rose again. His resurrection was the final proclamation that His sufferings and death had won the victory. Jesus had told His disciples that this seeming tragedy would end in victory!
During Lent we should see the tragedy of our sin, but also the victory over it by our Savior. Ponder once again the passion of Jesus. During the remaining weeks of Lent, remember that the passion of Jesus points us to victory and that through His death and resurrection our salvation has been completed! Thanks be to God, our Savior!
If my sins give me alarm and my conscience grieve me,
Let Thy cross my fear disarm, peace of conscience give me.
Grant that I may trust in Thee and Thy holy passion.
If His Son so loveth me, God must have compassion.
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 140:5)
