Luke 23:27-43
New Beginnings!
We don’t celebrate endings in the church. That is, we don’t celebrate being done with something as if there was nothing after. For instance, the church at large has long struggled with our practice of confirmation being seen as a type of “graduation”. Kids come in. They have to learn the catechism, attend classes on a regular basis, do memory work, write sermon reports, and maybe even do a final interview with the pastor or elders in order to be confirmed. Once all of that has been done, it feels like the end. It feels as though there’s nothing left and now they’re free to go off and do whatever they want. But that is the problem. Here in the church, we don’t celebrate endings. Confirmation isn’t your graduation from church. Rather, confirmation is meant as a stepping stone to a new and greater beginning. Of course, this is much easier to show in baptism. We don’t act as though once a kid is baptized that they don’t need church anymore. Baptism is a starting point. Confirmation is a starting point. But let’s go one step farther. Funerals are also a starting point. Yes, when we come together to mourn someone’s death, we do so with the hope and understanding that death has become the gateway to something new and greater! Thus, even a funeral isn’t an ending, but a new beginning. It’s a person stepping through the door to eternity. So is every celebration we have as a church. We celebrate not an ending, but rather, a new beginning.
Consider then our Gospel reading this week as we come to the end of another church year. Jesus is being taken to be crucified. It seemed like a definite end to many people. The end of the world seems like a definite end to many people. But that’s not what it is. Rather, through these endings, Jesus is showing us something even greater awaiting us. As we learn:
BY THE CROSS, JESUS BRINGS US TO NEW AND ETERNAL LIFE!
I.
I always thought it was strange to read about the crucifixion on this Sunday. It seemed out of place and not relevant to the time of the Church year. Around this time, we normally focus on the resurrection, new creation, Jesus’ return for judgment, and the glory of life everlasting. Yes, indeed, I think we all prefer talking about the glory and majesty of heaven and the life hereafter. It’s comforting to us while we endure the dark shadow of our world. But hear first what Jesus says prior to his crucifixion. “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” Luke 23:28-31. Life in this world won’t be pretty in the end times. It already isn’t pretty. People will fear for their lives and prefer a quick end to the endless suffering that awaits.
Think about the crucifixion in this way, as the disciples and all the people of the day would. It was the end. It was the end of Jesus, the end of his ministry, the end of his life and miracles, the end of hope. They knew the Romans were thorough. There wasn’t a chance that Jesus would survive. And if Jesus couldn’t, then neither could you. This is how Satan wants us to think about our lives in this end of days. Every setback, every sin, every trouble that befalls us is an end to life as we know it. For example, you’re always going to be known by that mistake you made in middle school. You’re always going to bear the marks of your failures. You’re always going to be the same mess-up that you’ve always been. So just give up... because it’s over. It’s the end. There’s nothing left for you. There’s nothing that comes after this. Just death, and then nothing. It’s this nihilism that has become so prevalent in our society today that makes people think they can only celebrate endings. Because there’s never going to be anything new afterwards.
II.
But we don’t celebrate endings here. As Christians, we don’t look at tragedies, mistakes, the end of the world, or any such thing as “The End!” Not at all! Rather, Jesus here shows us that the worst of scenarios, the worst possible circumstances we could face, is really just a gateway to something new and greater! Hear Jesus speak from the cross, as he says, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” Luke 23:34. Do you hear that?! Your sin isn’t the end of you. Your mistake doesn’t mark you forever. Your life isn’t ruined by even the worst of your decisions. Rather, there’s forgiveness to give you a new start, a clean slate, an empty page to begin your story anew! Hence, we look at forgiveness not just as the wiping away of sin and its punishment, but as the foundation upon which to build again. As Jeremiah writes in Lamentations, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23. There’s nothing in this whole wide world that could ever bring an end to God’s love for you!
Thus, on this last Sunday of the Church year, we’re reminded why we don’t have endings... but rather new beginnings, even new life. It’s because Satan thought he could end Jesus by putting him on the cross. It’s because our world wanted an end to Jesus’ words by making him the silent lamb. It’s because God sought to bring an end to our sin and death! For so we find ourselves as the two thieves on the cross. As one says, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?” Luke 23:40. Yes, we deserve our sentence of condemnation. We’re the ones who should be afraid of our end... but we don’t have to be anymore... because Jesus faced it for us. He went before us with the key to open the very door of eternity to you and me! Hence, Jesus told this thief, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise,” Luke 23:43. Our hope and joy that we have for Christ’s return is solely because of the cross. It’s because Jesus died for us, paid for our sins, wiped out our death, and now gives us his very life! For he says to you too, Truly, you will be with me in paradise! A new beginning!
For let us understand that this heaven and earth shall pass away. Our world shall be destroyed when Christ returns to judge both the living and the dead. But in this ending, in the final moments of this world, Christ shall mark us with his cross that we may walk through the gates of death and unto resurrection and the beginning of life eternal! In Jesus’ name! Amen!