Sunday 6th April 2025 – Passion Sunday)

Isaiah 43: 16-21

Psalm 126

Philippians 3: 4b-14

St. John 12: 1-8

“Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings out the chariot and horse, army and warrior…” Isaiah 43: 16-17a

Many of the artistic representations of Jesus Christ, or hymns about Jesus, portray a gentle, sweet Son of God… For example, do we remember the hymn, “Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling/ Calling for you and for me…” Maybe we got the same message when we were very young… Do we remember this old children’s hymn?

1. Gentle Jesus, meek and mild/ look upon a little child, Pity my simplicity/ suffer me to come to thee.

1. Loving Jesus, gentle Lamb/ in thy gracious hands I am;

Make me, Saviour, what thou art/ live thyself within my heart.

Absolutely, these images of Jesus Christ – that Jesus is gentle; that he is kind and sweet – these are true!… People who are broken by life – those who are deeply hurting – need to receive the gentle salve of the gospel: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth…” We need to know that we are safe, as it were, in the arms of Jesus – and he will never let us go!…

While all this is true, I am concerned that this image of Jesus is incomplete… For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is both Lamb and Shepherd; he has come to us as a helpless baby in Bethlehem, and… he shall come again, to judge the living and the dead… In Matthew, we can read how Jesus brought children to him. A short time later, we can read how Jesus overturned the tables of the money-changers, and raged against the religious authorities, who showed no compassion to the hurting… God hates injustice, you see; and God hates sin… We should hate sin too, because sin is like a slow poison – left unchecked, it leads to a kind of spiritual death…

Any interpretation of Jesus that he is gentle (but omitting that Jesus is tough!), used to drive the British writer and academic Dorothy Sayers to distraction!… Ms. Sayers was known not to suffer fools lightly, and she once wrote a satire like a Catechism, about people who believed Jesus to be pale and weak:

Q: What was Jesus Christ like in real life?

1. He was a good man – so good as to be called the Son of God. He is to be identified in some way as God the Son… He was meek and mild and preached a simple religion of love and pacifism. He had no sense of humour. Anything in the

Bible that suggests another interpretation must be an interpolation (stuck into the text by a fake bible writer)… (“The Dogma is the Drama,” The Whimsical Christian, p.26)

The opening verses of the Book of Revelation challenge our perception that the risen

Jesus Christ is merely weak and mild:

Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining with full force. (vv. 12-16)

Today’s first reading is from Isaiah 43. The nation of Babylon has invaded Jerusalem, and God’s people have been taken away captive… God’s people are in a terrible state – but Isaiah prophesies about a coming time when God will deliver the people from captivity, just as they were delivered from captivity in Egypt… The Lord God of hosts will be their mighty Deliverer:

I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.

Thus says the Lord,

who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters (vv. 15-16).

God is mighty to save his people!… Just as God defeated the army of Israel at the parting of the Red Sea, so many years before, God is a warrior who will defeat those who try to defy him:

(God) brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior;

they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick (v.

17).

Now, when we read about God going into battle, we often think about warfare in “human terms” – we easily think of the swords or guns or bombs we see on TV… We might remember the misguided Medieval Crusades, and think, does God want us to be killing one another?…

Certainly there are stories about battles and wars in the Old Testament part of the Bible…

But the battles with which God engages are understood primarily to be spiritual battles –

of good against evil; for Christ and against the spiritual powers of darkness…

Here are just a couple of examples of God’s final victory. The Book of Daniel:

‘At that time Michael (the archangel), the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise… But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. (12: 1)’

The words of Jesus, on the night of his betrayal: “I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world! (John 16: 33)’

There is the reality of evil and sin. Yet, core to the gospel message is that God has won the final victory over evil by his self-offering on the cross. The resurrection is the first-fruits of God’s glorious victory… The victory over evil is not “gentle Jesus, meek and mild…” It is a final glorious triumph over all sin and tears and pain and evil; it is a final triumph even of death itself!…

Let’s bear in mind that we are not distant observers in this great spiritual battle between good and evil. We are called to participate; to stand up for what is beautiful and good, and to resist injustice and sin in ourselves or others. Daniel 10: 19 reads,

(“One in human form” God the Son, before the incarnation?) said, ‘Do not fear, greatly beloved, you are safe. Be strong and courageous!’ When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, ‘Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.’

Ephesians 6: 10-12:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh notice, other people aren’t our enemies, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. As we have faith, the life of Christ dwells in

us, and we’re called to cooperate with God to advance his purposes and his kingdom…

Of course, let’s make very sure that we are seeking God’s will, and not the “devices and desires of our own hearts” (to quote the Anglican common prayer book)… We are not seeking our own glory. Humbly and yet with confidence, let’s aim to make this world more aligned with the priorities of heaven…

So, how do we do this? How do we cooperate with God to work toward the spiritual victory which he has already achieved by the cross (but which the entire world will not appreciate in its fullness, until the time when all time is past)?… How do we cooperate with God to do “spiritual” battle?…

We might not feel as if we are carrying Christ’s authority… “Dear God, it’s me, Agnes. I live on Chippewa Street; remember me? Oh, right, of course you do!… I’ve got this bad hip. God, I’m not rich or powerful in the world’s eyes. (I don’t feel powerful at all, actually…) But I pray that your will be done in my life. In Jesus’ Name, I pray that your love and peace will spread, and that evil hearts will soften and turn. Yours truly, Agnes…” Our prayers might not be quite like that… But we can all be Agnuses. All of us can pray in this mighty spiritual battle…

A second way we can live this out is by thoughtfully engaging in the world around us… I encourage every one of us who can, to vote, in the upcoming federal election… Pay attention to what animates our hearts – what encourage us or interests us – and follow the Spirit’s nudges to love and to bless… Within our spheres of influence, we can have a positive effect on those around us…

Yes, the Lord Jesus is gentle and merciful, and kind to the weak and the hurting… But he is also the triumphant ascended Son of God… Christ has won the victory! We are not observers… We are participants for God’s priorities, or else self-centredness; we’re involved one way or another… We’re called to cooperate with God to bring about kingdom priorities… Two ways we can all carry this out is in our prayers, and by engaging graciously, in the world around us…

When we are humble and faithful, we carry God’s authority, not by might as the fallen world understands it, but animated by God’s love; now and for ever.

Amen.