Christ Crucified 

March 24, 2024 

I love Palm Sunday! We all get a palm branch and remember the parade on Palm Sunday. We say hosannas and give praise to God for his goodness! On that first Palm Sunday, Jesus had a special colt that had never been ridden before. His disciples went and told the owners, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.” And they said, “Ok.” Then people laid their cloaks and branches on the road as Jesus approached, riding the colt. People shouted, “Hosanna” and “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” It probably was just a small group of people. But they loved Jesus and were excited about him because he served others: healing, teaching, and forgiving.  

But things would change that week. The religious leaders didn’t like Jesus. He spoke with authority, and crowds were drawn to him. The religious leaders felt threatened by Jesus. They also worried that the Romans would punish the Jews if they sought to make Jesus king. The religious leaders turned the people against Jesus. Soon people would be crying, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pretty quickly the fun of Palm Sunday turns into the tragedy of Jesus betrayed, arrested, deserted, tortured, and dying on a cross.  

Sometimes life is like that: you have great joy, interrupted by great sadness. A grandchild is born, and a grandparent dies. You buy a special gift and eat with your spouse at a favorite restaurant, then an argument spoils your anniversary celebration. You get over one health setback to find yourself faced with another. Joy and sadness meet! 

Today is Palm Sunday, a joyous day, but it’s also Passion Sunday, (not romantic passion!) Passion means “suffering” Sunday. So, it’s a Sunday with a joyful parade celebrating Jesus. AND it’s remembering the horrific suffering and death Jesus endured. It’s both together. 

I like the fun Palm Sunday part better than the horrible suffering and death of Christ’s passion. Do you? Sometimes we pretend life is a parade and do everything we can to make others think that our life, our family, is full of joy and celebration. For example, I take photos of great times I have. I don’t take photos of the bad times. Except with my true friends, they are the ones I can reveal the sorrow of my life to. We may hide our suffering, but it is part of life. 

Suffering and the cross are a big part of our faith. Christianity is the only religion that’s about a guy condemned to die by public torture. The gospels are four books of the New Testament, that tell the story of Jesus Christ. The gospels spend many chapters describing Jesus’ suffering and death. They give the details of his betrayal, arrest, desertion, trial, torture, beating, mocking, crucifixion, and agonizing death. They tell how terribly people treated God’s own son! The gospel writers don’t hide Jesus’ suffering. The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:23 & 25, “But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles… For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” Our faith centers on Christ crucified! Even in the worst times, especially in our suffering, God is there.  

The Christian message is that there is power in suffering. Nothing good comes without suffering. From suffering comes real change. God makes all things new. So often, the people you admire most are people who have been through a lot of suffering.  

Kevin and I graduated from seminary, and before our first call, we lived with his parents in Iowa. Kevin’s father was a minister. We attended his church and sang in the choir, where we met Rex. Rex claimed us as a friend. He was always so happy to see us. His body was bent in a different way than most people’s. But he was a very positive, friendly guy. We learned his story. He had a son who he loved very much and who became a minister. His son had committed suicide. Rex’s wife had passed away. Rex would talk to us and say the nicest things: he was so proud of us. We didn’t know what to say sometimes, he was so kind. You could see he was a person of faith; he saw the best in people, believed the best, and hoped for the best. He was an inspiration and I felt so blessed to know him! God brings the best out of the worst situations. 

My challenge for you this week is to ask yourself, what difficult situation are you experiencing? Has God been with you in it? 

Jesus suffered greatly and cried out to God in agony. His suffering was a big part of the story of our redemption. Jesus surrendered to God’s will, gave up his rights as God’s son, and went to the cross. By his sacrifice we are saved!

After Jesus died on the cross, God raised Jesus up! Suffering is the way that a new day comes. In love God reaches out to us in our suffering to make us whole. Even in the worst times, God is there. God brings the best out of the worst! Amen.