By now, many of you have seen Mel Gibson’s film "The Passion of the Christ". This is a film that graphically depicts the final twelve hours of Jesus Christ’s life. When it was first released, Ty Burr, a reporter from the Boston Globe, described "The Passion of the Christ" as a, "profoundly medieval movie... brutal almost beyond powers of description… more obsessed with capturing every holy drop of martyr's blood and sacred goblet of flesh, than with any message of Christian love..." He even went so far as to say, "… any parent -- no matter how devout and well-intentioned -- who takes a child to this movie is guilty of abuse. Period."
This Easter they are releasing a tamer version of "The Passion of the Christ". Gibson’s goal is to attract a wider audience by softening the more violent scenes. It goes without saying that what Jesus endured on the cross was more ruthless than the deaths and homicides we typically read about in the newspaper.
Jesus' death was brutal and ruthless.
For one, Jesus’ death wasn’t instantaneous. It wasn’t like he was hung or shot or electrocuted or given a lethal injection by the state. Jesus was first beaten and scourged. He then suffered a slow, agonizing, torturous crucifixion. Ultimately, as his strength gave way, and his lungs filled with fluid, and his shoulders popped out of joint, it is believed that he died of suffocation. The Romans were a brutal and merciless people and crucifixion was their chosen instrument for administering justice. The sheer physicality of Christ’s suffering and death isn’t something we get exposed to in a day, or even in an entire lifetime.
Our images of the cross are rather sterile. We have cleaned up Christ’s shed blood and broken body. Our crosses are made of the finest silver, and are worn as charms. It is important to celebrate Christ’s resurrection from the grave. But it is equally important to remember Christ’s shed blood and broken body. It is important to see the cross for what it was, in all its cruelty and barbarism, and to remember how Christ suffered.
We are all passionate about different things. But our passions often fizzle at the first point of suffering. I am passionate about fishing, but I am a fair weather fishermen. I fish when the weather is nice, when the sun is out, when the wind is calm, and when the lake isn’t crowded with ski boats. You won’t find me out fishing in the middle of a rain storm. You won’t find me drilling holes in the ice in the dead of winter, risking frostbite, hoping to catch some poor old fish.
Our passions often bring us to the threshold of suffering, but rarely beyond. Yet here is the Christ, humbling himself, enduring the cross, and becoming, "obedient to death-- even death on a cross." Philippians 2:8 (NIV). What we know about Jesus Christ is that he had every opportunity to avoid the cross, but he chose to enter into the suffering of the cross with courage. Weeks before entering Jerusalem, even months earlier, and even from the beginning of his ministry, Jesus was telling his closest followers that he must suffer many things, that he must be rejected, and that he must be killed.
Throughout the final week of his life, he saw all these precipitating events unfolding, yet remained unwavering in his passion. In the garden on the night before his crucifixion, with full knowledge of what lay ahead, he prays in Luke 22:42 (NIV), "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." More overwhelming than the violence of the cross is the intensity of Christ’s passion.
Where did Christ's passion stem from?
What drove him? What was his obsession? What was his desire? What was the source of his zeal, his vehemence, and even his vigorous embrace of suffering?
A lot of our passions come from our dark side. We are driven by guilt for past failures. We are driven by a desire to be loved and valued. We are driven by a lust for more, or by a greed for money and material things. We are driven by our appetites and by the flesh. We are driven by pride to look good, to have status, to be noticed, and to matter. We are driven by fear. We are driven by self-pity, self-loathing, or jealousy.
Sometimes these passions well up inside of us and they give us the energy to do extraordinary things. Perhaps we even suffer for a short time. Sometimes these passions cause us to self-destruct. But there isn’t any evidence that Christ was driven by these things. In fact, the Bible says Jesus was without sin. He was God in the flesh. Therefore, how could he sin? What we discover is that Jesus was driven by four deeply intense passions. We would do well to cultivate these passions in our own lives.
Jesus was driven by a passion for his Father.
This particular passion of Christ is evidenced in Matthew 26:36-46. In this passage we find Jesus is in the garden of Gethsemane with his disciples, moments before he is about to be betrayed by Judas. At this point Jesus is agonizing over doing God’s will. Jesus knew what that Jews were about to do to him. There would be physical suffering for doing God’s will.
Of greater concern to Jesus, however, were the spiritual ramifications of doing God’s will. God was asking him to take on the sins of the world. He was asking Christ to be a sacrificial lamb and to absorb God’s wrath against sin in his body.
Matthew 26:36-46 (NIV) says, "Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, 'Sit here while I go over there and pray.' He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, 'My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.' "
"Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.' Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. 'Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?' he asked Peter. 'Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.' "
"He went away a second time and prayed, 'My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.' When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, 'Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!' "
It is easy to have passion for God when his will is easy, or when it yields immediate benefits. But what about when God’s will isn’t easy, and there are no immediate benefits? Are you willing to suffer for doing God’s will? Are you willing to walk through agony, doubt, and sorrow to do God’s will? Are you willing to commit yourself to God’s will in prayer, to deepen your resolve, to find the strength to be obedient to do what God asks of you? Are you willing to go further than your peer group, your close circle of friends, your family, even your spouse in order to see God’s will done? Are you willing to obey even when your body is weak, when your eyes are heavy, and when no one is standing beside you? Are you willing to be more than a fair weather Christian? Are you willing to rest temptation or drink a cup of hardship and suffering?
It is easy for us to answer "yes" while sitting in here, but what about out there? What about when God asks you to make a sacrifice and to do something really hard? We all want to believe that we would be obedient to God unto death. The truth is that we struggle with the basics. We continually need God’s grace and his forgiveness. Jesus’ love for his father was so great that he refused to back down from doing God’s will. Jesus was even willing to become obedient unto death, even death on a cross.
1 Peter 2:21-24 (NIV) says, "...Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."
Jesus was driven by a passion for his family.
This second passion is evidenced in John 19:25-27 (NIV), as Jesus suffered on the cross. In this passage we read, "Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, 'Dear woman, here is your son,' and to the disciple, 'Here is your mother.' From that time on, this disciple took her into his home."
In death, Jesus was establishing a spiritual family consisting of his followers. His family would not be based on biology and genetics or DNA. In Matthew 13:47 Jesus is teaching a crowd when someone interrupts him to tell him that his mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to him.
In Matthew 12:48 (NIV) Jesus says, " 'Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?' Pointing to his disciples, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.' "
I don’t know how you feel about Christ’s spiritual family, the Church. Like it or not, the Church consists of everyone who has a relationship with Jesus Christ and who is doing the will of God the Father. God’s family is a lot larger than we often think it is. I say this because there is a lot of church shopping going on these days.
Many of you are searching for the ideal spiritual family, for that perfect Christian community that perfectly does the will of God the Father. You are searching for that church where hypocrites never darken the door. Such a community does not exist. The family that Jesus was passionate about included the likes of Peter, who disowned him three times. It included Thomas, who was full of doubt and uncertainty. It later included the apostle Paul, who struggled with sin. The truth is that Christ’s family consists of broken people, people who obey God’s will imperfectly, and people who have no choice but to grow in God’s grace daily.
Christ’s didn’t die for the ideal church. He was passionate about the real Church. In death, he was establishing a community of grace and forgiveness. A place where people live for righteousness. A place where people find healing through Christ’s wounds. A place where love covers over a multitude of sin. Jesus’ passion for his spiritual family puts the church shopper in an awkward place. The church you are dreaming about doesn’t exist. This is the family that God is calling you to serve and sacrifice for. We are the imperfect people who Christ died for. We are the imperfect ones who strive to love God, but seek his mercy every single day.
Jesus was driven by a passion for outsiders.
This third passion is evidenced in Luke 23:39-43 (NIV) again, as Jesus suffered on the cross. "One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: 'Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us! 'But the other criminal rebuked him. 'Don’t you fear God,' he said, 'since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.' Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.' "
The whole point here is that Jesus isn’t just passionate for his Father, or for those striving to do his Father’s will. Jesus is also passionate about outsiders. Jesus’ arms are extended to receive that sinner who is acknowledging him for the first time, or the second time, or the third time. Christ’s spiritual family isn’t closed. It is always open to new life. It doesn’t matter what your past is, what sins you have committed, or what consequences you are now suffering because of your sin. You can be part of Christ’s spiritual family.
There isn’t any sin in your life that God will not forgive. Four of the greatest men in the Bible were Abraham, Moses, King David, and the apostle Paul. Abraham prostituted his own wife to the Egyptians. Moses murdered a soldier. King David committed adultery and had the woman’s husband killed. The apostle Paul persecuted Christians, and was responsible for their deaths.
God can forgive murder, adultery, divorce, sexual sin, abortion, theft, and lying. He wants to include you in this community of grace and forgiveness. He wants to wash you and cleanse you. He wants his blood to cover your sins and satisfy the wrath of God. He wants you to be with him today in paradise.
Jesus was driven by a passion for his enemies.
This fourth passion is evidenced by Jesus’ unforgettable words in Luke 23:34 (NIV), as the Roman soldiers are dividing up his clothes and the crowds are mocking him. Jesus prays, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
It’s perhaps the easiest to be passionate about serving God and striving to obey his will. Generally speaking, it is easy to love Christ’s spiritual family, the Church. More often than not, we have no trouble loving that repentant person into our fellowship. In all these areas, we have a desire to grow and be greatly used by God. But it is this last passion of Christ, this passion for our enemies, that is most troubling to us.
What we discover is that Christ doesn’t just love the Father. He also loves his family, the Church. But he doesn’t just love his own family, he loves to welcome new life into his kingdom. And not only that, he loves his enemies as well.
In Matthew 5:43-47 (NIV) Jesus says, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Christ demonstrated perfect love on the cross. His passion for loving God and loving people transcended his own suffering and death. But the real question you need to ask this Palm Sunday is, "Will Christ’s passion become my passion?"
Will you cultivate a passion for loving God and doing his will, no matter what the cost is?
Will you cultivate a passion for Christ’s spiritual family, the real church?
Will you cultivate a passion for receiving the new life that comes from seeking Christ’s love and forgiveness?
Will you cultivate a passion for forgiving your enemies and for building bridges to the enemies of God that abound everywhere?