Some might wonder why we would hear the story of Jesus’ suffering and death every year.  Some think it is morbid.  Some find it too sad to participate.  And some have never attended a service on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday – which is why the Revised Common Lectionary sneaks in the Passion Narrative on Palm / Passion Sunday.

            While I understand the objections, we are ignoring an essential part of the story if we never hear about the crucifixion of Jesus.  After all, there can be no resurrection without death.  There is no salvation without the sinless one taking on the sins of the world.  Joy is experienced most fully after sorrow, and pleasure is only possible when we can also feel pain.  And, Jesus experiences all of these things, as he humbles himself in order to share our humanity.

            Historically speaking, the passion narrative was the first part of the gospels to be written down.  This is the part of the story that begins on the night of Jesus’ last supper with his disciples and ends with his crucifixion, death and burial.  The Easter story – the resurrection of Jesus – only makes sense when we know what happened before Easter morning.

            Historically, as well, Christians gathered for worship every day during Holy Week, hearing the passion narrative from Matthew on Monday, from Mark on Tuesday, from Luke on Wednesday, and from John on Thursday and Friday.  This was a way of hearing the nuances in the story from the perspective of each of the gospel writers.  It was also a way of allowing the love of Jesus to sink deep into the soul, for there is no greater love than “to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn. 15:13).

            Admittedly, the timing of Holy Week and Easter does not necessarily match where we are in our own journey.  When we are feeling like celebrating, it is hard to experience the pain of Good Friday.  When we are grieving and in pain, it is hard to experience the joy of Easter.  Still, both extremes are part of life on this earth, and both are part of journeying with Jesus.

            I suppose it would be morbid if we were only focused on Jesus’ suffering and death.  This, too, is just one part of the larger story that encompasses all of Jesus’ life on this earth.  Those who seek to know Jesus better would do well to spend time with all of the stories that we find in the gospels.  This is how we grasp who Jesus really is, and what God is really like, and how the life of Jesus relates to our own lives.

            As we spend more time with Jesus and with his followers through the gospels, we encounter his compassion, his power to heal, his welcome to outcasts, and his embodiment of God’s way of love.  As the Holy Spirit works in our hearts, we become aware that Jesus’ call to come and follow also applies to us, and that we are among those for whom Jesus gave his life.

            There is, indeed, no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  It is only in the case of Jesus, though, that the result is salvation and eternal life through faith in him.  Thanks be to God!

            In Christ,

            Pastor Lynne Hutchison