Journey to the Cross: Embracing Freedom and Grace

I've been really inspired by this Practicing the Way course that many of us have done over the last eight weeks. One of the things it talks about was like, you are being formed. You are becoming someone. You are not a static individual. You are becoming someone. And I would suggest that the person you are becoming is in part dictated by where your attention is drawn to. And if you spend your attention and your time looking at the things that intimidate you and put you down, well, you are going to live a fearful life. And in one gate, the Romans are coming in with their horses and their chariots and their weapons. And they are designed to intimidate. My friends, if you look at that gate too long, you will live in fear. [00:06:42] (37 seconds) Edit Clip


We can come to him and turn our back on the things that want to intimidate us. Instead, look upon Jesus, not riding on a horse, but coming on a donkey, he's showing us what a new kind of king looks like. And instead say with the crowd, Hosanna, save us, son of David. And that would be a good place to finish, but I won't for two reasons. One, I've spoken for less time than it took most of you to park. And two, as I was reading the story, I was really inspired by this crowd. They've got all this intimidation and fear factor and things trying to hold them back and yet still they have the hope and the belief to look upon Jesus and say, Hosanna, son of David. [00:08:54] (42 seconds) Edit Clip


But I think one way that I'm reading this story is that between the two Sundays, between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, Jesus is not, he's not just dealing with all the problems of people out there, dealing with the stuff people have done to us. Instead, what Jesus is doing in this next week, he is drawing out the evil from everywhere. He's drawing out the evil from them over there, but he's also drawing out the evil from us in here. He's taking the darkness from over there, but he's also pulling out the darkness in our own minds. This is a king bringing a kingdom, not just to quash other people over there who aren't like us. This is a kingdom that's coming that's going to change the way I think. It's going to change the way I behave. This is a king who's coming to deal with darkness by drawing it upon himself. [00:11:30] (54 seconds) Edit Clip


It was the jealousy of the religious leaders that killed him. It was that envy that grew like a weed, festered in them. And it does that, doesn't it? It wrecks our relationships. It pulls our friendships apart. As we look at them with envy, it was the envy of the religious leaders that killed Jesus. The Roman authorities weren't envious. They were just ruthless. They were just ruthless. They didn't care the price that had to be paid to keep them at the top of society as long as someone else was paying it. And I think it's a reflection of how power, how power can corrupt. It does that, doesn't it? I don't know if any of you have had it, like a boss who's just downright mean for no real reason. [00:16:25] (46 seconds) Edit Clip


Greed does that, doesn't it? It drives us. Greed drives us to do ridiculous things. Your marriage could be falling apart. Your kids might have forgotten what you look like, but you're still replying to emails at midnight in the hope of getting that raise. Greed does that, that kind of desire, that push to always have more. My son is old enough to understand fractions and not quite old enough to understand generosity. He can spot the biggest bowl of dessert a mile off. Worry beside you if you attempt to split it evenly, and he thinks it's not even, because he will make sure he is getting the biggest bit. And that's kind of annoying in a child, but it's especially pathetic in an adult. [00:18:32] (38 seconds) Edit Clip


And Jesus stands on the platform between Pilate and the crowd and Barabbas, and he stands there and he takes it. He takes it. As they heap upon him insults, as they shout at him, he takes it and he makes no reply. And Pilate's amazed as he takes it and says nothing. There are dozens of ways of understanding what happens at the cross. One way I'm thinking about it at the moment is this idea that Jesus is like the magnesium sulfate drawing out the poison. Now, when you drop your phone in the sink and they say you have to put it in rice because it's going to draw out the moisture. And the story of Holy Week is almost the story of Jesus drawing out the worst that humanity can offer, drawing out the darkness of all these different elements. [00:24:58] (55 seconds) Edit Clip


That ruthlessness, that ruthlessness, that drive to put others down to elevate yourself. That ruthlessness that killed him doesn't have to kill you. You no longer have to vindicate your own ego by putting others down. You can be free of that because that ruthlessness killed him, it doesn't have to kill you. The greed, the greed that drives you to own it all, to have it in every colour, to click on every link. That greed that tells you the lie that there's not enough and you need more. That greed killed him, it doesn't have to kill you. The assidu of the disciples causes you to waste hours upon hours shirking from responsibility, not standing up and putting our hands up and saying, I'll take that. [00:27:01] (44 seconds) Edit Clip


He takes the shouts of the angry crowd. Those of you who have lived under the anger of others or under some unseen watchful eye that's always disappointed in you. That is taken by Jesus as he draws it out and takes it upon himself and says, give it to me. Let me tell you that because of what he does, that darkness is no longer your destiny. That he has taken it. The rage and the shame and the envy and the lust and the prejudice and the cowardness and the humiliation and the bitterness. He has taken it so you don't have to because we are Barabbas and we are free. The name Barabbas means son of man. So I think it's interesting. [00:28:21] (41 seconds) Edit Clip


In this moment, we find our freedom. As Judah Smith puts it, the greatest challenge of Christianity. It's not your devotion or your or your focus. It's not your will or your determination. The greatest challenge of Christianity is simply believing there could be a God that's this good. That there could be a mercy this scandalous. A love so outrageous that takes upon himself what was meant for us. A God who takes upon himself the darkness of the earth. It takes it upon himself and looks upon us as Barabbas and says, you are free. For while we are still sinners, Christ died for us. [00:29:20] (38 seconds) Edit Clip