- The bitter climax of this period of the Christian year, which we call passion tide, is now approaching. The last two weeks of the Lenten season, call attention to the passion of our Lord's sacrifice. Passion is a word that literally means, suffering. For 20 centuries, the events of these last days, have been reenacted by means of verbal and musical and visual reminders of a single theme, His blessed passion and precious death. Readings from the entire Bible are called upon, and services held, each day of holy week. Ancient songs or song, a Messiah, presented by our choirs. The Christian world replays its destiny of sacrifice and rebirth, and seeks to emulate an example that is virtually unattainable, except by act of faith. The principle crosses of our churches are veiled as again, an ancient sign of mourning. And as a reminder, that His passion was hidden from the world these centuries ago, even perhaps as it may be today. Palm Sunday has its origin in His triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem, on a Sunday, before His crucifixion. On Wednesday of holy week, the office of shadows is held wherein the lights gradually extinguished until finally even the Christ light is gone. The triumphal entry is a thing of the past. The blackness of Good Friday is apparent to everyone. Now at this moment, and I've seen with no proper anticipation of the forthcoming message of Easter, we read on still another day of these long 20 centuries, these words, "I thirst." It is very hard for us to understand now the poverty and meanness of those times, and the physical cruelty of crucifixion as a form of legal punishment. The crunch of nails through flesh and bone, the nude bodies weight suspended on its very flesh, the loss of blood, the inhuman triad of care and pain and shock, the cruelty of one human being to another. According to the Oxford dictionary of the Christian Church, crucifixion was abolished by Constantine, sometime between the years of 274 and 337. Although isolated instances of physical crucifixion are recorded later in the fourth century. Society has often replaced as you well know, one form of barbaric behavior in this particular area, by others. Today in France, for instance, a general of the French army has been sentenced to die by the guillotine. In North Carolina a more humane technique of the gas chamber is in current use. Whether shocked or hardened by such examples of physical horror, our society as nonetheless accepted into its language, this word, crucified. Although as I have noted the substantial right or act of crucifixion disappeared, certainly, by the end of the fourth century. We have used this word in the past and do so today, to signify the more sophisticated forms of crucifixion that are common to our modern world. The crucifixion of holding to a different creed or that crucifixion of belonging to a different race. The majesty of our proper civil law in this democracy, does not condone any element of travesty of justice. It may conduct its affairs, however, in an unholy glare of publicity and fanfare. Wrongdoings of men or women, are punished quite correctly, but the impact of television and radio and newspaper reiterating this wrong to what seems to be a monstrously interested public, truly crucifies those innocent but must standby the wrongdoers. We see this as an instance of a growing phenomenon and a savage world, and wonder if the tradition of the sponge of vinegar, has disappeared from our culture. And if the word crucify, will always be part of our language. Perhaps in a more singular way, we may use this word to describe the more difficult nuances of intellectual segregation. We may affirm starkly a sense of, or the importance of intellectual neutrality, and thus deny the responsibility of a commitment. This man on the cross made a commitment, and died in physical anguish that we might live. Pilate, a single minded, but rather perplexed, Governor of Rome, swept aside all it was pitiful and disturbing, all it was in conflict with the goals of the Roman empire. In short the lessons of ancient or modern crucifixion would both suggest that science, education and political values are not enough in themselves and in our success or failure, and the conduct of human affairs, is dependent in large part upon ethical values. And the identification of these ethical values is a very difficult matter. And it is difficult for us also to keep fresh in our minds that this man lived much of His life at the side of the wrong people. They were beggars, sinners, outcasts of all types, hardly people that one could call, respectable people. Now He dies in torment and says, "I thirst." Before this, He has become frightened. Perhaps He realizes that in His commitment, He is paying a fearful price and He has called out, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Now He is numbed. He is just as human as we are. Nurses and doctors are accustomed to hearing these two cries. I am thirsty. Give me water. Oh my God, I can't stand this pain. Do something. Our responses to these common cries and to other cries, perhaps of future import are never intellectual responses of a complex form. There exists no element of doubt of experimentation, of scientific interpretation, of adjusting with matters where you cannot understand. These responses are simple, hopefully compassionate, and formed about the faith and some trifle of knowledge. The tragedy of this day, about which we now Medicaid this day of long ago, is coming to an end. What can be done has been done. The sponge of vinegar and wine has been pressed against dying lips. And those people grouped around the cross are not aware of the coming of the majesty of the resurrection. The epistles of the Philippians states (indistinct) of simple faith. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even a death of the cross. Wherefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him a name, which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things in the earth, and things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God, the father. Here ends this epistle. We stand here now, in this beautiful chapel, 20 centuries later, reenacting this play, again, waiting for the resurrection to come and we to pray. All mighty God, we beseech thee graciously to behold this thy family, for which our Lord, Jesus Christ was contented to be betrayed and given up into the hands of wicked men and to suffer death on the cross, who now liveth and reigneth with thee, and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end, amen. (acoustic choir music) Let us pray. Heavenly father, let us feel thy presence. We come before thee this hour in silence, in reverence, to remember the anguish and pain, endured by our savior, Jesus Christ. But in a larger sense, we too are guilty as were those at the time of His crucifixion, for we, also have denied thee and persecuted thee by our own examples of living. Help us then at this moment to pause, to forget our personal needs and desires and reflect upon this man, our Lord Jesus Christ. We are grateful for His life, for the strength we receive through Him. In our lives, at times both, when we are unaware of thy presence and now. Help us in the midst of our sufferings and shortcomings to not lose heart, hope or faith, we offer our prayers for all men in every vocation asking that we may better serve thee. And now father, take hold of our lives and give us courage and strength that we may be led together, under Jesus Christ. And when we finish each hour, when we finish each day, help us to continually look to thee for hope, so that at the end, we may finish life with the same confidence and hope which He had. We ask these things, in Christ's name. Amen. (acoustic choir music) (choir singing indistinctly) Let us hear the Word, as it is written in the gospel according to St John 19: 30, "When Jesus had received the vinegar, "He said, "It is finished" "and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit." So ended the reading. The scripture we just read is known throughout the Christian world, as the sixth word of Christ from the cross. Many of you are no doubt, very familiar with the entire seven words. And I've heard during the earlier meditations today of the first five words. These sixth words, "It is finished," taken out of context, could have many meanings in regards to the crucifixion. And it was very necessary for me to, again, review the events around the cross to reach a full understanding of what was finished. And in doing so, I believe that my most satisfying experience came from a collection of sermons, by the late Peter Marshall, and edited by his wife, Catherine Marshall, into a book titled, "The First Easter." This book gives you a very vivid picture of the events of the crucifixion, of the final words of Christ on the cross. You will remember that the events leading to the cross took place in the city of Jerusalem. And as we again, look into the drama, we see the 12 gathered together in what was the beat crisis last night on earth. Jesus Himself had made all the arrangements for this gathering, to be remembered by all, as the last supper. A strange silence beat in the hearts of these men, as they were apprehensive, they remembered that Christ had begun His ministry, by telling the apostles, that the son of man must suffer many things. Christ realized there was no other way. That it was His job to be the instrument by which the father would for all time, make death not a wall, but a door. And it was at this meeting that He shocked His followers by stating that one of the 12 would betray Him. And we see this one Judas, parked in the room to keep his treacherous rendezvous. The 11 who remained were now very quiet and concerned. However Christ recognizing their anxiety, left them with pardon words of comfort, telling them to abide in Him. So as the gathering ends, we see Jesus, a man facing death, moving to His rendezvous, not afraid, but confident. Already telling the apostles that He would see them again. This group then departs, and heads to the garden of Gethsemane, a favorite spot. And it is here that the evil Judas reappears with the temple guards and soldiers, they seize and bide, Christ, after the kiss of Judas had identified Christ as the one. Peter stands by draws his sword, but is rebuked by Christ. And he stands puzzles as he cannot understand, the calm submission with which Christ allows Himself to be led away. To face the group, the Sanhedrin and the preliminary investigation. Now the task before the Sanhedrin was not an easy one. It was headed by Caiaphas, the high priest, and they needed to find valid grounds for getting rid of Jesus because He posed a problem to their way of living, but they failed. How could you convict one who healed the sick, fed the multitudes and who was teaching the love of God and of one's neighbor. Witnesses were hard to find. The first charge was made that He threatened the temple. Christ made no reply. Caiaphas had hoped to develop so many Roman feelings from Jesus, but he failed. So Caiaphas, removed (indistinct) and decided to use his last and most dangerous weapon, point blank he demanded to know of Jesus, "Do you claim to be the Messiah?" "I am," was the reply. Now Jesus could have denied this and been released, but again, He took the initiative on His road to the cross. Caiaphas was overjoyed, and he cried out, "That is blasphemy and no further witnesses are needed." The prisoner stood condemned, not of His own mouth. With this, the death penalty was decreed and then some in the crowd began to spit on Him. And the guards began to strike Him as he was marched off to face of the Roman governor, Pilate. Now it was necessary for Caiaphas to gain the favor of Pilate, and so secure the death of Jesus, for only could the Romans order the death penalty. Pilate demanded the charge and was told that, Jesus was an evil doer. But Pilate was not pleased with this charge and he decides to examine Jesus in private. He ends the interview with a feeling of not guilty about this strange man. And he tells the crowd that he can find no fault with this man. But now the priests are angry and the crowd hold new acquisitions and Pilate begins to feel uncertain. And he tries to shift the case to Herod, but Herod declines and tells Pilate that he deserves the privilege. So Pilate though wanting to release Christ, finds again, that he must deal with this man. So as was the custom, he allowed that he will punish Him and release Him, but the priests would not accept this verdict. And the angry crowd calls for the release of the Barnabas, if any is to be released. "But Barnabas is a murderous," says Pilate, "and what harm has Jesus done? "And what shall I do with Him?" But the mob would not listen. Now prompted by the priest, they shout, "Crucify Him, crucify Him, crucify." Pilate tries to reason, but he has already heard of the sounds of the mob as they shout all the more, "Crucify Him." Pilate motions for Jesus to come forward. He obviously has mixed emotions about this man. He asked, "Who art though?" But Jesus remained silent. Pilate says, "Answer me. "You must know that I have the power to crucify "or to release you." So here again, we see Christ as an opportunity to escape the cross, but He would not. He would only say slowly, clearly, "You could have no power at all against me, "except if it were given above." Even this statement did not irritate Pilate. He was now more determined than ever to release this man. But by now the mob voices were even louder. And again, they took up the cry, crucify, crucify. So Pilate recognized the extreme heat of the priests, and the passion of the crowd. And he decided to wash his hands before the crowd. And by this act declasse himself innocent of this man. They then lead Jesus away. And later between two files of soldiers, staggered three condemned man, each carrying a cross on which he was to be executed. The sun was hot, the cross is heavy, the mob still chanting, crucify, and also shouting insults to the man in the middle. The one with the absurd crown of thorns on His head, the Merrill command. And as they moved out of the city to the hill of Golgotha, Christ was offered a drink which was drugged, but He refused it. He wanted to meet his death with all His senses intact. Then the nails were driven in, and as He was raised in the air on the cross, the weight of the body pulled open gaping wounds, and the people who watched rejoiced in His agony and ridiculed Him. Jesus opened His eyes and He could see below all heads turned up, faces looking up, fingers pointing, the shafts of mockery, and He could hear on His right and on His left, the sighs of the dying thieves. Now below Him, the crowd chanted His own words back to Him. He saved others, He cannot save Himself. He even brought back the dead, now look at Him. Perform a miracle now, miracle man, come down from the cross and we will believe you. If you be Christ, come down. This mockery must've been very hard for Jesus to endure. And in many ways more better than the hatred of the Sanhedrin. But because of the noise, only a few could hear a demoted, "Father, forgive them for they know not that they do." Then one of the thieves was overheard saying, "Can't you see how we suffer? "If you are the son of God, take us down, "save yourself and us." And Jesus answered, "Today thou shall be with me in paradise." Yet all the while the soldiers continued in the mockery, playing dice and even tossing for the tuning comprise. And then suddenly the sky was very dark and people looking up became frightened. Women and children fled, the shouting died. The soldiers put away their dice. And again, Jesus opened His eyes and gave a loud cry. The gladness in His voice startled all who heard it, for it sounded like a victory shout, "It is finished." And then after commending His spirit to God, He died. A shout a victory, it is finished. Nothing was finished. The end of the King of the Jews, a defeat for the followers of Christ, and a victory for Pilate, the bitter end of a man doomed to failure. No, this was a cry of triumph because Christ had completed the task, the father had sent Him to do. He had completed the whole scheme that was necessary for Him to be able to say, He came to save that which was lost. He had finished the most difficult task of all times. He could have saved Himself. He could have avoided Jerusalem. He could have left the garden. He could have compromised with the priest. Or He could have called upon God to rescue Him and show the great power. Many ways of escape were available, but He stayed, suffered the punishment, the mockery, the pain, and finally death, in order to establish forever our salvation and accomplished for us, what we could not do ourselves. This triumph on the cross will live forever as the greatest moment in our history. Man have had their moments, yet they themselves acknowledge that their deeds for small, in comparison to those of Christ. It was once reported that somebody asked a Napoleon when he was on the island of (indistinct), "Who was the greatest warrior of all times?" Without a moment's hesitation, the Napoleon replied that Jesus Christ was the greatest. "You would not have said that four months ago," said inquirer. "I realize that," said the Napoleon, "But since I have been on this island, "I've had a chance to think, "men like Charlemagne, Alexander the Great, "Julius Caesar and myself, "we fight all battles with tears and blood "and with implements of war. "But all Christ had was a broken rib "and a heart of redeeming love. "I call my own guards and they have so me not. "Christ calls man, "but though they have been hundreds of years "since His death, they answer today." Let us pray. Almighty God. As we today, again, recall the great victory of Christ on the cross. Grant that we might have the wisdom to recognize our task and the strength and the courage to face flicker form thy will, so that when that great day comes, we too will be able to finish with a knowledge of triumph. Amen. (acoustic choir music) Let our hearts be united together in prayer. Almighty God, our most gracious and merciful heavenly, to be delivered up and crucified that we might be forgiven our sin and have eternal life. We come humbly before the, in the quiet of this hour, thanking thee for thy great love, which has made manifest in Jesus Christ. We thank thee for all the benefits, which thou has given us unworthy as we are. For all the pains and insults, which thou has borne for us in Jesus Christ. We thank thee too father that through Him, we are able to call thee, our father. Grant onto us this day, oh God, a true vision of all that He suffered. His betrayal, His lonely agony, His false trial, His mocking, and scourging, even the torture of the cross. That remembering His suffering and death, which He bore for our redemption, we may give ourselves, holy unto thee. That with Christ, we may always be able to say, into thy hands gracious father, we commit our spirits. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and savior. Amen. (acoustic choir music) 
(choir singing indistinctly) And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth, until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, "Father into thy hands, I commend my spirit." And having said this, He gave up the ghost. Now when the Centurion saw what was done, He glorified God saying, "Certainly this was a righteous man." A layman who undertakes to make a religious talk, can only set about the task with utmost humility. This is so rather he seeks to interpret the simplest biblical phrase, all gravity ventures more boldly, into the letters of the great apostles, or into the words of Jesus reported in the gospels. He knows that one who explores these words searches out the infinite, and he is inspired. Yet he knows that explorers more skilled than he, learned theologians, have returned from their own voyages reporting widely different findings. So the untrained laymen begins his task of interpretation with a great sense of inadequacy, unless he is an utter fool. How much greater is this sense of inadequacy when the topic is one of the crucial words from the cross? How overwhelming it is when the text is the last recorded Word of the Christ before His death, "Father into thy hands, I commend my spirit." Bear in mind that Jesus knew that these were to be his final words before his death. Therefore, we may be certain that He chose them with deliberate care. We know of course, that all of the words said the first, father, on a quotation from a familiar song. This fact does not make them the less, Christ's words. His appropriation of these words in His last moments of life high on a wooden cross gave them a new meaning, a deeper meaning than they had ever had before. Before the words were a familiar portion of scripture, and a familiar bedtime prayer for thousands of Jewish children. Once they escaped the parched lips of the dying savior, as His last words deliberately chosen, they became the symbol of the very wonder, and mystery of the cross. Who, layman or theologian, would dare approve the deepest meanings of Christ as he says, "Father into thy hands, I commend my spirit." The very first word, father, provides role material for unending scholarly debate on the concept of the Holy Trinity. That certainly is to powerfully dose for the lay speaker. Take the phrase, I commend, what deep meanings is there. I commend connotes a voluntary act. And if we put this in the context of some things Christ said and did before, we began to see that this death is no catastrophe or accident, no ordinary taking of life by man, but is rather the climax, the consummation, the fulfillment of a divine plan. Long before that hour, Jesus had said, "I lay down my life that I might take it again." Christ had also reminded Pilate, that he could have no power over Him, except that it was given from above. This Pilate, who thought his power over Christ came from Rome. Jesus' last words from the cross, sound a strong note of immortality. Now Jesus was not the first to speak of life after death, but we Christians believe that He spoke as one who knew, travelers know the way. And He who came from that state of glory knew the way back. Beyond the grave was no mystery to Jesus, but blessed reunion with the father. So the scholar who studies the seventh word from Calvary, catches and echo of the infinite, to quote from a well-known Jurist, "He sees perhaps the key to greater understanding "of the Holy Trinity or the concept of immortality "or of the cross itself. "But what of the layman? "Is this something in this last word,# "that he can take hold of, that he can understand. "There is indeed, one profound truth "that is yet within our own poor understanding "emerges instantly when we read Jesus dying words. "That profound yet simple truth is that, "Jesus died precisely as he had lived, "in complete commitment to the heavenly father. "Jesus did not redirect his path in this moment. "He continued along a well won and familiar path. "The path of His father's will and His father's work." Think with me, if you will of the very pattern of Jesus' life. Recall, for example, the question that a precocious lad of 12 had asked of his anxious parents, when after frantic seeking, they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions. His mother had said, "Son, why has though dealt with us? "Behold, thy father and I have sought thee solemnly." The answer came, "How is it that you sought me? "Wish we not that I must be about my father's business?" Total commitment to the father, came early in the life of Christ. Think of a later episode in the life of Jesus. The temptation by the devil, "Turn this bread to stone," said Satan, to a hungry young man. Again, "Bow down and worship me," said Satan, "And I will give you all the kingdoms of the world." And yet a third temptation Satan said, "Cast thyself down from the pinnacle of the temple, "for you will not be harmed "and your reputation will spread far and wide." But the young man, Jesus, was just as absorbed in the mission of the father, as he had been the young boy, Jesus, a few years before. Jesus said, "Get thee behind me, Satan." And he went down into Nazareth into the synagogue and read from the scriptures. "The spirit of the Lord is upon me "because He has anointed me "to preach the gospel to the poor. "He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, "to preach deliverance to the captives "and recovering of sight to the blind, "to set at liberty them that are bruised, "to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." Yes, Christ commitment dated back long before Calvary. And then one of the most beautiful stories in all the gospels, because it shows us the humanity of God. I refer to the agony of Gethsemane. Here is the very human Christ, tempted to bypass Calvary. And his sweat was as it were a great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And he said, "Father, if thou be willing, "remove this cup from me. "Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done." So Christ died as He had lived, totally committed to God. After He had made the commitment of Himself to His father, a fixed habit of His life, it was only natural for him to fall asleep with this prayer upon His lips, "Father into the hands, I commend my spirit." Don't we all die pretty much as we live? Charles Lamb once wrote up a grand quote, "Who parted this life as he had lived without much trouble." End of quote. And then the story is told of a death of a man who had made himself famous in the restaurant business. He had established restaurants all the way across this continent. When at last he reached the end of his earthly journey, those nearest to him gathered about his bed to hear his final words. When they bent over to catch his last whisper, what do you think he said? "Slice the ham thin." Now there is nothing necessarily wicked about such a final word, but doesn't the story illustrate how strong in depth, are the habits of a lifetime? I know we are taught that we are saved if we but believe, and that true repentance, even at the 11th hour, enables Christ, who has stood patiently at the door and knocked, to enter at last. But deathbed religion, or a foxhole religion, has never seemed particularly reliable to me. In the first place, many of us will not know which breathe is to be our last, and may never get around to commending our spirits to the heavenly father if we keep putting it off. And the second place, turning to God in contemplation of death, after ignoring Him throughout life, is somehow not very convincing, even to me. And I wonder how it must appear to an all-knowing God. Any man who can speak at all just before death can say the words, "Father into my hands, I commend my spirit." But this does not mean that any man can die as Jesus died. If one is to die, as He died, the words must come naturally to his lips, from a lifetime of commitment. Dr. Clovis Chappell tells a story from his own experience, which illustrates what I am trying to say about deathbed, religion. He says that he was called once to see a man who was desperately ill. Although he had largely wasted himself in riotous living, when he realized that he was coming close to the end, he called the lay minister, Dr. Chappell went. And in the words of John Wesley, offered him Christ. Dr. Chappell believes that the offer was accepted in sincerity, despite the lateness of the hour, the man seemed to receive the message with joy and his loved ones rejoiced with him. But then the man became unconscious, and when he slipped away, his last word alas, was not a prayer, but a curse. Of course he did not know what he was saying, but so long had he schooled his tongue in the language of blasphemy that he swore spontaneously. Indeed how strong in depth, are the habits of a lifetime. Do we live our lives as Christ lived His, in commitment to the will and work of God? Are we with the 12 year old Jesus...