WE beseech thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon thy people; that by thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle (Hebrews ix. 11)
CHRIST being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
The Gospel (St. John viii. 46)
JESUS said, Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you; but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.
Passion Sunday - Message in a Minute
The Gospel for Passion Sunday gives us the smoking gun in the criminal case against Jesus of Nazareth. He is going to be executed for his crime in about twelve days. It is extremely important that we understand that Jesus was not the victim of a miscarriage of human justice. He was beyond a reasonable doubt guilty of the crime with which he was first charged. Getting that point is the key to understanding what the spiritual and cosmic ramifications of his crucifixion are. What St. John describes this morning is the primary evidence of the crime for which Jesus was condemned to die--the crime of blasphemy.
Blasphemy is insulting God or invoking God's name in a less than serious way. God revealed his personal name to Moses at the burning bush. His name is, "I AM." To say the divine name, no matter how reverently, was to commit blasphemy. Jesus not only said the name, but also applied it to himself when he answered the crowd, "Before Abraham was I am." He had committed blasphemy. The penalty for blasphemy was death.
The fact that God himself could be convicted of a capital crime under his own law, showed the obvious limitations of that law. Jesus committed blasphemy, but he was telling the truth at the same time. As a man he was barely, thirty years old. As God he had existed long before Abraham.
Jesus was executed because he could not deny the reality of his Incarnation--that God himself had become a human being so he could save the world. Jesus would not deny it even to save his own life, So St. Paul. calls his execution, "Unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called... Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men."
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