Bloghardt's Reflector

So comes the marathon. Church today, Double Church on Thursday, Church Friday, double church on Sunday. It's like the best time to be a Christian! All those gifts!

And to point us there, to point us to what all this Church stuff is all about, we have some Greeks. They come for one reason. “Sir, we would see Jesus.”

Jesus. “We would see Jesus” is the only answer that holds to why we come here on Sunday morning.

Jesus helps the Greeks out too. It's not enough to see Jesus. I tell the Youth that the Sunday School answer, “Jesus” isn't enough. What we need – what the Greeks needed - is to see Jesus crucified – or better still, “to receive Jesus crucified for me.”

Jesus says “The hour has come.” The time has come for the Lord to be glorified. To be glorified not in a bright shining blaze of glory on Easter, but by being lifted up. As John says, “He was telling us how He would die.”

Christ is lifted up. Christ is crucified. That's Christianity. That's our faith. If you want to boil your faith down to it's bare necessities, it's really simple.

The Son of God was born of the Virgin on Christmas. He took on your flesh. He lived life perfectly. He suffered for your evil and sins. He died in your place and on your behalf.

Which means if you want to understand Lutheranism, you have to get Holy Week. More specifically, what Jesus does this week for you is what Lutheranism is all about.

No, says the popular preachers. They will tell you that if you are a Christian and commit enough, you will be sick less, not die, or at the very least be successful. They call that Christianity.

But, Christians aren't more successful than non-Christians. They don't suffer less. They aren't richer. They aren't even happier sometimes – in the world's standards.

True Christianity is not about you at all, but about Christ for you. Christ lifted up. Christ suffering. Christ glorified on the Cross and Christ dying – in your place, for your sins, for your faults, for the evil things you do and think daily and much.

You see, we think that glory is about us – good job, more money, more happiness, beautiful girl, just the right sized tv, the people we love are always around us, and the Rockets never lose again. When we hear that religion, our ears perk up.

But, that's not God's glory. Not even close. The glory of God is the glory that saves you and me from our sins and failures. Holy Week is where we see the glory of God.

He rides in the God-incarnate King without pomp and He rides to die. He teaches, He preaches, they are ashamed. They love men more. He stoops down and washes feet. Then at Gethsemane, He's handed over to sinners. Betrayed by a kiss.

Beaten. Bruised. Struck. Mocked. Nails. Sponge. Suffering. Dying. God Dead on a Tree. That's the glory of God.

Sir, we would receive Jesus crucified for us. That's what your faith is all about. Christ and Him crucified. Jesus dead for you.

Jesus risen from the dead on Easter morning. But you don't get to Easter Sunday without Good Friday first. Easter does you no good unless the One who died on Good Friday is the One who rises again on Easter morning.

That's Lent. No dodging it any more. He's headed for a bloody and gruesome death.

And that death, that being lifted will draw all men – including you and me to Himself.

Draw – that's a great Greek word! elkuso means “will draw.” It's the same word used when St. Peter draws his sword to strike the high priest's servant in Gethsemane and when the disciples after the resurrection drag their nets full of fish ashore.

Drag. The action is being done by Him. The sword is drawn by the one using it. The sword itself is lifeless. The net of fish is being dragged by the Apostles, while it fights to get back into the water.

That's us. He draws us. He drags us ashore. He drags us this week to the Cross.

And not just us Lutherans, but all people are drawn, dragged, by Him to Himself... to His being lifted up on the Cross.

All people, means you too. This is our Faith. This is our salvation. This is our peace with God. The Cross. The glory of the living God crucified for us.

Now, the Gospel lesson says that some believed in Him. They knew who He was. But, they loved the glory of men more. What about you?

You know the times you've traded God's glory for men's glory. Don't you? You know where you've replace Jesus being lifted up with something else .

You know where you with your lips have praised Him and with your heart and life have lived for yourself. Where you have tried to find the certainty of your faith in something else – like whether you feel forgiven, your heart burns in your chest, or you believe or work hard enough. And who hasn't denied their faith to gain the approval of someone else?

And so He drags us... people who resist Him .. to Himself this week. He draws us to the font where His salvation is delivered. To the Supper, where salvation is put into our mouth. To absolution where forgiveness is put into our ears with the glory of God, “Your sins are forgiven on account of Christ.”

To the Cross where that forgiveness is achieved – to the Cross where we see what Christianity is all about – Jesus lifted up drawing all men to Himself.

Holy week is here. No more missing Lent now; Jesus riding in to town. Good Friday is Friday. This is what Christianity is all about – what your faith, church, and life are all about. Jesus goes to the cross for all, for you, for me.

Ride on, ride on, in majesty! In lowly pomp ride on to die. Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain, then take, O God, Thy pow'r and reign. (441, 5). In the name of Jesus. Amen.