How the Passion? [Palm Sunday; St. Matthew 26:1-27:66]

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO HERE.

It is a glorious witness to the power of God when we hear the same Gospel reading from Advent 1, on Palm Sunday, especially with today also being the Annunciation of our Lord. It is glorious, because Jesus is coming; not just to a Silent Night in Bethlehem, but to fallen creatures singing His praise today, but shouting “Crucify Him” on Friday.

Thus, Jesus speaks today, saying:

"When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples,'You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.'”

We get to smash Advent and Lent together today, proving that you can not have one without the other. For today marks 9 months before Christmass, as in that day which St. Mary conceived Jesus in her womb. All that Advent prepared us for comes to fruition in the Passion of Jesus. St. Mary had to learn to deal with that sword and so must we.

This is the reason why we hear the entire Passion of Jesus on Palm Sunday: so that we may learn how to listen to it and meditate on it. I will give you three ways you are not to hear and meditate on the suffering and death of Jesus Christ and three ways you should meditate on it.

First, when you hear the Passion or see a crucifix, you are not to become angry at the Jews nor are you to lament about poor Judas and be satisfied with that. This is not meditating on Christ, but on wickedness.

Second, you are not to use it as a removal of suffering from your life, as if you believe that the fruit of your meditation lifts you above the regular life you live and that Christ’s suffering is no more than a talisman against your own possible suffering.

Third, you are not to patronize Christ with your sympathy. Do not weep and lament superficially as if to say, “Why, why? Such a tragedy! He was so innocent.” This places a focus upon your own self-righteousness and you are satisfied simply having heard the story, gone to church, and going about your business as usual.

If meditated on in this way, we will focus on wickedness, on the removal of suffering where none is promised, and we will build up our own egos with how well we do things. However, God is not just God, He is God to us and for us and He gives us the true Fruit from His Passion.

So what is the good, right, and salutary way to meditate upon the crucifixion of Jesus?

First, you should become so horrified in your heart at the sight of Jesus on the cross that your conscience immediately sinks into despair. God was adamant that before Jesus could set sinners free, He must pay the costly ransom price for them. Simply put, you are the one who crucified Jesus. You are the Jews, you are the Romans, you are Judas.

When you view the nails, the crown of thorns, and the marks of the scourging you must firmly believe that it is your work, your wicked thoughts, and your sins that fashioned such a welcome for the Son of Man. As soon as you understand that it is the true eternal Son of God that steps forward to have mercy upon you and to offer Himself to the same judgment passed upon you in heaven, you must weep for your sins. Jesus says, “Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children”.

For the natural purpose and work of Christ’s sufferings is to make all men equal and alike in this way: since Christ was so horribly martyred as to His Body and Soul in our sins, we must also like Him be martyred in our consciences by our sins. This type of meditation changes a man and then the Passion of Jesus accomplishes its true work: to slay the Old Adam and banish all lust, pleasure, and security.

Thus, in the second place, you meditate on Christ’s passion rightly when you find comfort in His suffering. St Peter tells you that, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed."

The comfort comes when you believe that Jesus wants your sins to be crucified and die, thus in your despair and terror you throw your sins from yourselves upon Christ. Stillness of heart only comes with confessed sins. If you deal with them yourself, they only grow stronger, but when you see that they are laid on Christ and He has triumphed over them and believe it, then they are dead and become as nothing.

God is full of love for you and through His sufferings you may press on through all difficulties and behold His friendly heart, full of life and forgiveness.

Thirdly then, in this peace, you live life. Now that you are an enemy of sin out of love, not fear, you may also do work while living in the midst of suffering and death. If a day of sorrow or sickness weighs you down, think how trifling that is compared with the thorns and nails of Christ.

If you must do something distasteful or leave it undone, think how Jesus was led all around bound and a captive. Does pride attack you: behold how your Lord was mocked and disgraced with murderers. Do unchastity and lust thrust themselves against you: think, how bitter it was for Christ to have His tender flesh torn, pierced, and beaten again and again.

If trouble or whatever adversity of body and soul afflict you, strengthen your heart and say: Ah, why then should I not suffer a little since my Lord sweat blood in the garden because of anxiety and grief? That would be a lazy and disgraceful servant who would wish to lie in his bed while his Lord was compelled to battle with the pangs of death.

At the sight of Christ on the cross, the Christian confesses his sins and receives absolution from the pastor. He heaps them upon his willing Savior, knowing that they crucified Him, but believing that this is God’s will. Armed with this knowledge and faith, the Christian then lives his life in faith, not doubting, but believing that all his sins are forgiven.

All of this is so planned out, because in nine months a child will be born in the city of David. He will be named by his father, St. Joseph, who heard the angel and believed. The child will be God in the flesh, dwelling with us as one of us. He will be raised by his father in the Church, until the day comes when the child will be given away in marriage, consummated in the crucifixion of the same God-man, Jesus Christ.

And for those reasons; for the reasons that His work results in the salvation of all people from their sins, He shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Almighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Because of His cross and passion, those who believe and are baptized will be comforted, helped, and delivered.

Christ is on the cross in order “… to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

 'Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

    and they shall call his name Immanuel' (which means, God with us).” 

Thus when we wake from our sleep of sin and death, we will do as the Lord commanded us: to take our place beside the Bridegroom in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.