The fallen world is dumbfounded by the Self-Sacrifice of Christ Jesus on the Cross. The world recognizes and admires the self-sacrifice of duty on the part of those who put themselves in harm’s way to save others; and by the same token, the world is critical of those who shirk their duties and run away from danger when it comes, including those who end their own lives to avoid difficulties. But the fallen world is not able to comprehend the true glory of the Cross.
The world does not perceive the bullet that Christ Jesus takes on our behalf, the deadly bomb that He smothers and absorbs with His own Body to save us. Nor does the world realize the ransom that Christ Jesus pays to redeem us all from the destruction we deserve. The Cross appears to be, not the faithfulness of duty, but simply foolishness; not the glory of heroic rescue from danger, but a futile waste, a misguided effort, a failed mission, and a dismal loss. Or, at best, the world might think of our crucified Lord Jesus as a martyr for some tragic ideological cause.
Confronted with the Cross of Christ, the world slips easily into cynical unbelief and proud idolatry. If that’s what God is like, well then, no thanks! Cold reason kicks into gear and begins to calculate survival. Hardness of heart sets in, not only against God, but also against the neighbor. Sacrifice may be fine, to a certain extent, if there’s some return on the investment, some marketable glory to be gained. Every move is governed by the twin goals of self-preservation and self-promotion.
Your own fallen flesh is no different. But, ironically, by that way of thinking — by resisting and fleeing from the Cross — you run headlong into the spiritual self-destruction of apostasy. In trying to protect yourself and preserve your life by rejecting the Cross and the Crucified One, you make a show of strength and competence, but you cut yourself off from the only true and lasting Life.
Alternatively, the fallen world and your fallen flesh sometimes simply fall apart when confronted by the Cross; that is to say, instead of cold logic and calculated strategy, there is a kind of craziness or madness that emerges and erupts in your thinking, speaking, and acting. Not hardness of heart, but insanity, lawlessness, and perversity of every kind. The nervous system comes unglued, the mind becomes unhinged, and open foolishness begins to reign. Faced with the consequences of sin, the certainty of death, and the condemnation of the Law — which is precisely what you see in Christ Jesus on the Cross — there is the panic, the chaos and confusion of a waking nightmare.
So, what are you to make of all this, when the so-called “real world” seems so solid, so objective, and so certain, and yet so often explodes in ways that expose just how unstable and unreliable it really is. If the whole past year has not made it obvious that this old world and your own flesh are perishing and passing away, you don’t have to wait long or go looking for many more examples to prove the point. Just consider the ten people gunned down at the grocery store this past week.
At the same time, the true reality — that of the Holy Triune God and His Word, His Kingdom and His Righteousness — and His dwelling Place, the Holy of Holies made without hands, eternal in the heavens — that all sounds so imaginary and fantastic, so make-believe and fairy-tale foolish.
It all sound too good to be true, to begin with. But then it turns out to be manifested and bestowed by way of the Cross and suffering — which seems and feels like exactly the opposite of good.
Your instinct says that sanity ought to be rather savvy, reasonable, and strong, the way the world likes it and wants it to be. But here the “sanity” of God enters in with this strange foolishness, in humility and weakness, seated on a donkey’s back. The Lord God empties Himself and makes Himself nothing. He submits Himself, in utter poverty and human shame, to death upon the Cross.
This divine wisdom appears to be absolutely crazy, as though God were actually out of His mind. And yet, you also are called to have this mind of God in yourself, to share this bizarre “sanity” of Christ Jesus, which is the mysterious divine wisdom of His Cross and Passion. And that is yours only by faith in the Word of God. It is not by sight or sense, nor by emotion and experience.
The fact is that outward appearances are utterly deceiving. So, what is really going on here?
The “triumphal entry” of Jesus into Jerusalem is the Lord’s selection and identification of the true Passover Lamb. That’s what’s going on in the Holy City on this day: God the Father chooses His own beloved Son, without spot or blemish, and hands Him over to be sacrificed for the Feast.
Hence, Christ Jesus comes and enters in; and then He becomes the King of the Jews — He saves His people now — by entering upon His Holy Passion and ascending the throne of His Cross.
He goes up to Jerusalem in order to enter the Most Holy Place once for all by His Self-sacrifice upon the Cross, by the voluntary shedding of His own Blood. He thereby atones for the sins of the world and redeems mankind at the cost of His own Life, freely given in faith and love.
It is in this way that Christ Jesus establishes the New Covenant in Himself — in His own Body, with His own Blood. That is to say, He reconciles the world to God in Himself. Consequently, heaven and earth, God and Man are perfectly and permanently united and at Peace in Him.
The evidence and testimony of that reconciliation are given by God the Father in the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ Jesus. For the very One who died for you, bearing your sins, has been raised up and seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. What is more, His reconciliation is also given here and now — to you — in the New Covenant of His Body and His Blood.
The Lord’s Supper is the Meat and Drink of that Passover Meal — of that Lamb who was chosen by God and sacrificed for the salvation of the world. His Flesh feeds you. His Blood cleanses you from sin and covers you from death. And this is the Redemption that Christ has obtained for you.
This is the true wisdom of His Cross, the true sanity and stability of His salvation, the true victory of Christ which prevails for you against all of your enemies, against sin, death, the devil, and hell.
Therefore, wherever you have given up or despaired of any hope, return to this Stronghold, to this New Covenant of Christ the Crucified. For this very day, He declares, He restores double to you.
The Lord is faithful, who calls you to Himself and promises to save you, and He will surely do it.
The world does have its own victories of self-sacrificing love, its own heroes, its own martyrs for good causes: Soldiers who put their lives on the line in defense of others. Firefighters and police officers who brave real dangers every day for the safety of their neighbors. Regular citizens who step into the breach. Mothers and fathers who sacrifice in countless ways to care for their children.
For a good cause, for a good person, for a good friend, for their families, there are indeed many people willing to risk their lives, and even to die. And man has no greater love to give than that.
The world, in its own way, honors those sacrifices, though it does so with sadness, with memories of the past and monuments to that which has been lost and won’t ever be gotten back again.
For all that, the Love of God in Christ Jesus and His Self-sacrifice upon the Cross are far greater. For while we were yet sinners — not good people, but bad — not friends of God, but enemies at odds with Him — even then, the Father gave His Son, and the Son laid down His Life for us all.
And consider what His love has done: He has reconciled you and all the world to Himself. He has befriended His enemies. He has brought an end to the war that would not end, and now He speaks peace to all the nations. In place of chaos, He bestows calm. Instead of insanity and instability, He has become your solid Foundation, the wise Master Builder of a House that shall not fall.
In the Resurrection of Christ Jesus from the dead, He has given you a future and a hope. Indeed, He is your Future and your Hope, your Life and your Salvation, your Strength and your Song, because He is not dead and gone but victorious and alive forevermore. His dominion is from sea to shining sea; from the Tigris and Euphrates, and from the Jordan River, to the ends of the earth.
And here is the real irony of the Cross: The world is a better place because of His death; because, by His atoning Self-sacrifice, He has established a peaceful connection and profound communion between God and Man. He has removed the great divide, brought down the wall of hostility, and replaced the stone cold loneliness of sin and death with His divine friendship and camaraderie.
That is the “new normal,” which is eternal and permanent in the crucified and risen Body of Christ Jesus; and which is also true and real, sure and certain for you, as well. The world is now a better place for you and for your neighbor, because of who you are in Christ Jesus — God’s own dear child, buried with Christ by your Baptism into His death, and raised with Him to newness of life.
So it is that your life in the flesh — even now in the midst of this fallen and perishing world — even now under the Cross — your life in the flesh and all your labors of love on behalf of all your neighbors, be they friends or foes — none of this is pointless but meaningful and significant. Your faith in Christ and His Cross is not foolish but true divine wisdom, which is forever and ever.
For God has highly exalted the Crucified One, and has given Him the Name which is above every name. Therefore, at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow — in heaven and on earth, and under the earth — and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
What, then, shall we offer to the Lord for all His benefits to us?
Let us offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Indeed, let us take up the Cup of Salvation, which He pours out for you and for the many, and let us call on the Name of the Lord in peace. For everyone who calls on His Name shall be saved. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
In the Name + of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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