Elements of the Passion: Number 7: Rock and Stones

On Good Friday I led a Good Friday Meditation at one of my churches called Elements of the Passion. During the meditation I looked at seven elements that are present in the Passion story and explored them in turn. (I'm not a scientist so I'm sure that some of my seven are not strictly elements so please humour me!)

I thought that I would share them with you here over the next seven days so here's the seventh which is on rock and stones.

Jesus is Laid in the Tomb

Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. (Mark 15:46)

Stone and rock, something else that is there throughout the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life. The rolling of the stone over the entrance of Jesus’ tomb brings to an end a journey that has started in the wilderness with Satan trying to tempt Jesus to turn stones into bread, but Jesus wouldn’t. 

Then he had taken Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and encouraged him to throw himself off reminding him of the scripture that says:

“He will command his angels concerning you

And on their hands they will bear you up,

So that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”

But Jesus would not put God to the test. And Jesus often spoke about stones and rocks in his teaching. When he was teaching his disciples about prayer he said;

“Is there anyone among you who’ if your child asks for bread, would give a stone.”

He talked about the wise man building his house upon the rock and in the parable of the sower he spoke about seed falling on rock

And continuing with that theme of foundations being rooted on rock he said to Peter;

“I will tell you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church.”

Stones and rock are symbols of strength and endurance. The house founded on rock doesn’t collapse when the storms come. Sometimes they might wobble a little, as Peter had done when he denied Jesus three times on the night that he had been arrested. But ultimately a house founded on rock stands firm and that is what Peter did becoming the foundation for the Christian church as we know it today.

And Jesus also described himself in terms of solid stone foundations in Chapter 21 of Matthew’s gospel when he said;

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.”

 And it was on the rock of Golgotha that Jesus established the foundation of our faith when he suffered and died for us on the cross.

And what about us. Have we built our life on the secure foundation Of Jesus? Is he the rock that holds us fast when the temptations and trials of this world assail us?

Elements of the Passion - Number 6: Perfume and Spices

On Good Friday I led a Good Friday Meditation at one of my churches called Elements of the Passion. During the meditation I looked at seven elements that are present in the Passion story and explored them in turn. (I'm not a scientist so I'm sure that some of my seven are not strictly elements so please humour me!)

I thought that I would share them with you here over the next seven days so here's the sixth which is on perfume and spices

The Burial of Jesus

After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews.                                                                                            (John 19:38-40)

We only encounter references to perfume and spices three times in the gospel stories. The first time is in Matthew’s gospel which tells us that when Jesus was born wise men from the east came to visit him and one of the gifts that they brought him was myrrh. This spice was brought to Jesus in a spirit of worship and adoration. It was brought by wise men indeed who could truly recognise that God was at work in the world in a most wonderful way.

The second time that we encounter perfume is when a dinner is given for Jesus at Bethany and Mary pours a pound of pure Nard on Jesus’ feet to anoint them and John’s gospel tells us that the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. This perfume was brought to Jesus in a spirit of love. 

And then in the passage that we have just heard Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus bring myrrh and aloes and they place the spices inside the linen cloth that they use to wrap Jesus’ body in for burial. These spices were brought to Jesus in a spirit of sorrow and defiance. They had great sorrow for the evil that had been done. They had great sorrow for the death of a man they had come to love and respect, a man they had come to realise was God’s son. But they came in a spirit of defiance because Jesus’ death had emboldened them to stand up and be counted. Joseph of Arimathea had been a secret disciple of Jesus because of his fear of the Jews. But now he was afraid no longer. He boldly brought his spices to Jesus to show that he was not afraid to be called Jesus’ disciple.  

Spices and perfume were used to disguise the stench of dead bodies in Jesus day. But not even a hundred pounds of spices could mask the stench of what had been done on that day. They could not disguise the stench of injustice, of an innocent man being cruelly tortured and killed. They could not disguise the stench of betrayal, of Jesus being abandoned by those he had come to save. They could not disguise the stench of hypocrisy of those people such as the Pharisees and Chief Priests who claimed to lead the people in matters of God but instead had lead them astray . No spices or perfumes could ever take away that stench.

Isn’t it strange how once again an element that was there at the start of Jesus’ story is there again at the end? The wise men brought myrrh to Jesus when his life had just begun. Joseph and Nicodemus brought myrrh to Jesus when his life ended. And the sweet smell of the myrrh reminds us how God was able to transform something as awful as Jesus death into something smelling sweet and good. We see that in the transformation of Joseph and Nicodemus from people who were once afraid to acknowledge that they were followers of Christ but now boldly serve him for all to see. And we see it daily in the lives of people who have found salvation and new life through that man who was crucified and laid behind the stone in that tomb.

Elements of the Passion - Number 5: Blood

On Good Friday I led a Good Friday Meditation at one of my churches called Elements of the Passion. During the meditation I looked at seven elements that are present in the Passion story and explored them in turn. (I'm not a scientist so I'm sure that some of my seven are not strictly elements so please humour me!)

I thought that I would share them with you here over the next seven days so here's the fifth which is on blood.

The Soldiers Pierce Jesus’ Side

Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the Sabbath, especially because that Sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out.         (John 19:31-34)

Strange stuff blood. It can be a sign of life, a doctor will take our pulse and when they feel that blood pulsing through our veins they know that we are alive. And yet when we see lots of blood next to a person in a crime drama we know that they are probably dead, the life has gone out of them.

In Jesus’ time blood was sometimes a sign of shame and exclusion. The women who had been suffering from haemorrhages for many years knew all about that. Because of the blood she was ritually unclean for a good part of her life. Because of the blood she was excluded and rejected. In her case Jesus stopping the blood replaced shame with acceptance.

Blood could also be a sign of guilt. In the reading that we started our meditation with Pilate was keen to absolve himself of the guilt for Jesus’ death. He said to the crowd;

“I am innocent of this man’s blood”

And yet the crowd replied to Pilate;

“His blood be on us and on our children”

What a terrible thing it is that the crowd does. They reject Jesus and are happy to accept the guilt for his death, they shout “Let his blood be on us”.

And, as we’ve just heard, blood could also be a symbol of a covenant. As we just heard at the Last Supper Jesus had said;

“this is my blood of the new covenant”

The covenant that Jesus had set up between God and humanity was one that would open salvation up to all who believed in him and it was covenant that was sealed with Christ’s blood. 

As Jesus says in John’s gospel;

“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.”

Blood could also be a sign of suffering. Luke’s gospel tells us that when Jesus was praying on the Mount of Olives on the night before he died he was in such anguish that his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. And when we see artists pictures of the crucifixion there is always blood there. There is blood running from his head onto which that cruel crown of thorns had been thrust down. There is blood on his back where he has been mercilessly scourged. There is blood on his hands and his feet where those cruel nails have been driven. Yes blood is truly a symbol of suffering.

Chapter 17 of Leviticus says: 

'For the LIFE of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls"

The cross was that altar on which Christ made atonement for our souls. The blood of Christ gave life to us. That blood shed on the cross gives us eternal life.

Elements of the Passion - Number 4: Wine

On Good Friday I will be leading a Good Friday Meditation at one of my churches called Elements of the Passion. During the meditation I will be taking seven elements that are present in the Passion story and exploring them in turn. (I'm not a scientist so I'm sure that some of my seven are not strictly elements so please humour me!)

I thought that I would share them with you here over the next seven days so here's the fourth which is on wine.

Jesus is Given Wine

After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfil the scripture), “ I am thirsty”. A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of Hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had finished the wine, he said, he said, “It is finished”  Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.                (John 19:28-30)

A jar full of wine, does that image ring any bells? It would have done for Jesus. It would have reminded him of happier times at a wedding in Cana when the hosts had run out of wine. And, following some gentle persuasion from his mother, Jesus turned six stone jars full of water into wine. Wine so good that the steward, not knowing where it had come from, called to the bridegroom and told him that he saved the best wine till last.

John’s gospel tells us that turning the water into wine had been Jesus’ first miracle, the start of a journey that had led him to the cross.

Mark’s gospel records Jesus as saying that new wine should be poured into new wine skins. What had he meant by that? Was he saying that he was the new wine and that we are the new wineskins? Is it another sign that salvation is being opened up to all of humanity both Jew and Gentile?

And wine had also been a sign of love and healing. Jesus told his disciples that they should love their neighbours and in the story of the Good Samaritan he showed them what that meant. When the Samaritan finds the traveller who has been attacked he goes to him and pours wine on his wounds before bandaging them. The wine will cleanse the man’s wounds and help to heal them.

And of course on the previous evening Jesus had come to supper with his friends and had given them the cup of wine and said drink this all of you, this is my blood of the new covenant which is given for you and for many for forgiveness of sins. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. Wine had brought cleansing and healing on the road to Damascus and now in an upper room in Jerusalem it was bringing forgiveness and redemption.

So the journey that had started at a wedding in Cana was now coming to an end on a cross at Calvary. The wine was no longer sweet and good as it had been at Cana, it was sour now. It was no longer the taste of happiness and love but the bitter gall of suffering. 

And the question for us is, are we new or old wineskins? When the new wine is poured into us will it be too much for us and just leak away. Or will it fill us and through us be a source of love, healing and forgiveness in the world?

Elements of the Passion - Number 3:Cloth

On Good Friday I will be leading a Good Friday Meditation at one of my churches called Elements of the Passion. During the meditation I will be taking seven elements that are present in the Passion story and exploring them in turn. (I'm not a scientist so I'm sure that some of my seven are not strictly elements so please humour me!)

I thought that I would share them with you here over the next seven days so here's the third which is on cloth.

The Soldiers Divide Jesus’ Clothes

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.” This was to fulfil what the scripture says,

“They divided my clothes among themselves,

And for my clothing they cast lots.”

And this is what the soldiers did.                                        (John 19:23-25)

Mark Twain once famously said that:

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.”

How wrong you can be. Like all of us Jesus came into the world naked and his mother wrapped him in swaddling cloth. Jesus never worried about what clothes he wore and he told others to do the same. Luke’s gospel records Jesus as saying to his disciples;

 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.  For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.  Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!”

Jesus knew that clothes were not worth worrying about. When he sent his disciples out in pairs he told them not to take two tunics with them because he knew that they only really needed one.

But some people did worry about clothes because they thought that clothes made a statement about who someone was. We are told that the rich man at whose gate poor Lazarus sat was dressed in purple and fine linen. Purple clothes were the sign of power and wealth.  Jesus warned people against the scribes who liked to walk around in long robes.

And when Jesus visits the country of the Gerasenes and is confronted by a man possessed by a demon one of the signs of that man’s demon possession is the fact that he has worn no clothes for a long time. And when Jesus has cast the demons out the man sits at Jesus’ feet fully clothed. 

But on one occasion Jesus’ clothes had said something about who he was. At the transfiguration Jesus’ clothes had become dazzling white as he was revealed in all his glory to Peter, James and John.

And clothes have an important part to play in the passion story. On Palm Sunday we remembered how the people laid their cloaks down on the road in front of Jesus as he came into Jerusalem as a sign of welcome. But on Good Friday there was no-one there who was willing to offer their clothes to cover Jesus’ nakedness.

And clothing had been used ironically on that terrible day. The soldiers had stripped Jesus and then dressed him in purple robes as befitting a king or an emperor and then mocked him.

And now this final humiliation. The soldiers take Jesus’ clothes and divide them amongst themselves even casting lots for his tunic. Jesus’ humiliation is complete. The story has come full circle. Jesus came into the world naked and now he is about to leave it naked. 

And as we reflect on the naked Christ hanging there on the cross we should perhaps reflect on the fact that this is the fate that awaits all of us. At some point we will all stand naked before the Lord, our earthly pretensions stripped away. And when that time comes we will be able to stand there with confidence because of what that naked man on a cross in Jerusalem did for us.