Transcript
As we hear the Passion narrative on Palm Sunday, there’s a sense of “liturgical whiplash.” One moment we are shouting “hosanna!”, welcoming Jesus in triumph into Jerusalem. Next moment, we stand by as he’s betrayed and put on trial. And we shout “Crucify him.”
There’s a sense that this is all wrong.
There’s a lot here. There are a lot of moving parts on Palm Sunday. A lot of characters. A lot of people doing different things. What was Judas doing? What was Peter doing? What was Mary doing?… The disciples? The crowd in Jerusalem? Pilate. The thief on the cross.
All good questions. But here’s the question that gets to the heart of Palm Sunday. What was God doing?
What was God doing in Jerusalem at Passover 2000 years ago?
What was God doing? Why was doing it? And How was God doing it?
What?
2 Corinthians 5. 19 is one of the most famous verses in the New Testament. A great summary of the Christian faith.
It says this:
In Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself.
Let me read that again. In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself.
Reconcile. The Greek word is kat-al-las'-so.
It means to restore a relationship.
Actually, the original word referred to changing or exchanging something—especially money.
Think about it like buying something in a marketplace. You’ve got these coins in your hand. You give them over. You buy something, and now you have something else in your hand—a pound of fruit, or a chicken, or whatever. There’s been an exchange. A change.
So, go back to the verse: God was reconciling the world to himself. The word means change or exchange. What was the change or exchange?
In the simplest terms: God, in Christ, was (and is) changing SIN into HOLINESS. Reconciling.
Some folks in our contemporary culture are put off by the word SIN. But this is the most Biblically accurate way of say it. SIN to HOLINESS. And exchange. A reconciliation.
Why? Why was God doing it?
The Bible says that God is HOLY. Perfect, set apart. Everything right. That’s what God is. In the book of Isaiah there is a vision of seraphim, very special angels, and they are flying around God and saying Holy, Holy, Holy. They’re just saying what God is. God is holy.
And so, watch this… if anything—or any one—is going to be in the presence of God, it must be Holy too. Holiness needs holiness.
There’s a little glimmer of this on Palm Sunday when Jesus asks for a colt that nobody has ridden on. Jesus, who is pure, needs to ride on an animal that is, in a way, pure.
Holiness demands holiness.
Well you say, what on earth does this have to do with me? Just this: if God wants to bring something—or some one—into his presence, He must first make that thing or that one holy too.
I think that deep down, each one of us knows, that we are hopeless sinners. You say, “But I’m doing my best!” I know. Me too. And that’s good. I’m doing my best too.… Except when I’m not(!) And there’s the rub. Trying to be my own king.
We are hopeless sinners, but God looks at you, with immense love, and God says, “Ok, if you’re going to be in my presence forever—which is what I want—I need to change your SIN into HOLINESS. I need to reconcile you to myself.
How? How did God do it?
How does God reconcile? Answer: go back to the verse. In Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself. In Christ. In Christ. Jesus is the way that God does this.
In John Jesus says, “I am the way.” I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the father except THROUGH me. In other words, I am the way that God is reconciling the world to himself.
In Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself.
There’s was a cost. An unimaginable cost. We just saw that cost play out before us. The son of God—God from God, light from light, true God from true God—was given into the hands of sinners. To crucify him.
For love’s sake. And make no mistake, he would have his victory.
But before the victory, there is the cost. An unimaginable cost for God to reconcile the world—including you and me—to himself.
And in Christ, God said:
It was worth it. Thanks be to God. Amen.
