Faith at the Cross

In Nomine Iesu
St. Luke 23:39-43
April 14, 2019
Palm/Passion Sunday

Dear Saints of Our Savior~

This Sunday has it all: powerful Scripture readings, moving hymns, triumph and tragedy, sin and sacrifice. Thousands of sermons could be preached based upon the Word of God we’ve heard today. And, in fact, every sermon is based upon the Word of God we’ve heard

today. And St. Paul in today’s epistle manages to summarize it all in one sentence: And being found in human form, He humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross.

What the Scriptures tell us about the final days leading up to Calvary’s cross is, at times, difficult to hear. For nearly everyone around Jesus—even His closest disciples—found disappointing ways to behave badly. On the way into Jerusalem, the disciples got into an argument about which of them was the greatest. Judas made plans to betray Jesus. In the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples snoozed while Jesus agonized in prayer. Peter bragged about his loyalty, and then denied even knowing Jesus three times. And when Jesus was arrested, His faithful followers fled into the night. It is a sad, sordid, faithless account—with one notable exception.

Tucked away in the Passion of our Lord according to Saint Luke, is one little paragraph filled with fervent faith and good news. Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with [Jesus]. He was numbered with the transgressors. On His right and on His left were criminals—literally, evildoers. They had lived such outwardly evil lives—their sin was so extreme—that they were now receiving the death penalty—a public execution designed to discourage others from following their evil example. One of our Lord’s crucified comrades ranted and raved against Him, unrepentant. But the other man repented and recognized that he was getting what he deserved. Concerning Jesus he says, “This man has done nothing wrong.” And then he makes an amazing request: Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

This is faith. That dying, crucified criminal teaches us what it means to walk by faith, and not by sight. When he looked at the man crowned with thorns on the center cross, he saw one thing with his eyes; but he saw something quite different by faith. With his eyes he saw a bleeding man, a dying victim, a powerless casualty of Roman brutality. Yet by faith he addressed Jesus as if He were a powerful king—a victorious hero: Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

That is faith. And that faith is precisely what you and I need more than anything else in this world. Your faith in Christ—the ability to see Him as your Savior—that is your most precious treasure. Faith alone sees the hidden realities that our eyes cannot see. Only by faith in Christ can we understand that this life isn’t all there is—that the sufferings of this present time aren’t even worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us—that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Faith is the key to everything!

So if this faith is truly our most precious possession, why do we risk it? Why do we endanger it? Why do we imperil our faith through willful sinning—by treading right up to temptation instead of fleeing from it? If faith is so important, why do we squander so many opportunities to strengthen it through the reception of God’s gifts right here on Sunday morning? Faith makes all the difference between heaven and hell—between Paradise with Jesus and eternal punishment. What measures are you taking to guard and protect it—to strengthen and preserve it?

Your faith is of greater worth than gold. Faith gives what money can’t buy—what all your good works added together could never earn or achieve. Faith receives and believes the outrageous promise of Jesus the Christ: Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise. Without faith, that promise is just a bunch of worthless words. But by faith, the one who hears it believes it, and it is so. Nothing changed immediately for the criminal who first heard this promise of Paradise. His body was still pierced by nails. Each breath became increasingly difficult. His cruel execution continued uninterrupted. But he—he had the promise of Jesus ringing in his ears that he would be with Jesus, that day, in Paradise. And that is faith. And that is everything.

For me this scene brings to mind a scene on a Libyan beach four years ago. Twenty-one men—Egyptian Coptic Christians—were kidnapped and killed by the Islamic State. A recent article I read about it was enlightening. The martyrdom of these faithful men was carefully choreographed. A video released by ISIS shows the martyrs clad in orange jumpsuits; and it labels them derisively as “People of the Cross.” The cross, you see, is the most offensive part of Christianity to the Muslim mind—that God should take frail flesh and die. The video is pure propaganda, designed to incite hatred for the West and cause Christians to tremble. But what the video cannot hide—what cannot be edited away—is the calm and courageous faith—faith that made all the difference for those 21 martyrs. For as knives are placed on necks, and as blades begin to draw blood—no one screams. No one fights. Only the soft voices of prayer are audible: Ya Rabbi Yasou. “Oh my Lord Jesus! Jesus, remember me!” And in an instant, they were with Jesus in Paradise.

These martyrs—together with the faithful criminal crucified with Jesus—they were given to see beyond temporary pain and death—to view with serenity and clarity the kingdom of Jesus. But they have nothing over you. You share their faith. The kingdom, the power, the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ is hidden here for you in the washing of your baptism, in the preaching of God’s Word, and in the life-giving, faith-sustaining power of His Holy Supper.

Faith in Jesus is a miracle. It was faith that transformed a hardened, crucified criminal on death row into a newborn child of God, forgiven and free. He would have been listening later on when Jesus cried out, “It is finished.” He would have watched the soldiers come, seen the spear that pierced the Savior’s side, beheld the blood and water that flowed from that sacred wound—blood that paid for his sins, and water that washed him clean. Blood that atones for your sins; water that washes you whiter than snow.

And then in an instant, came total release and rescue. With his last breath on earth came the moment of perfect healing. At that very moment, on that very day, he was with Jesus in Paradise! Three days later others would see that it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Jesus. But already on that day, that man was with Jesus in Paradise.

By faith, Paradise is where God is taking you too. What happened to that repentant evildoer will also happen to all who repent and trust in Christ the crucified. His departure is a preview of our own departure. When we depart this life—at that very moment—we are with Jesus in Paradise. No wait. No limbo. No purgatory. No pearly gates. No soul sleep. Just with Jesus. In Paradise. And that is everything.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.