Isaiah 53:1-5.              Rejected and punished for you/me!!              6/4/12

 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?  He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Unbelievable! – Absolutely unbelievable! Yes, there are an incredible number of people who would regard the events of Good Friday and Easter as just that, unbelievable. I am sure you know many people who reject and ignore the importance and seriousness of this happening, and of many others who simply couldn’t give a darn whether it is for real or not; they would sooner go fishing, camping, down beach, or whatever, and        who like to think they can take their chances and enjoy life now, whilst deferring any decision and thinking on this matter to later in life. And how sad that is, that they should follow this line thinking.

But rather than just think of those out there, what about you and I. How serious are we, really? Where do we stand? Come on be honest – how fair dinkum do we take Jesus Christ and his death on the cross and it’s impact for and on our lives. How many of us are not sure, and who just want to have two bob each way; and turn up at Christmas, Easter, and a couple of times in between, just to be sure. How many of us have been caught up in the popular concept of Christianity today, which focuses primarily on us, and what we must do. How many us are sitting back smugly thinking, I’m OK Jack, I’m here most Sundays and I’m on this committee and that one, so I’m a good Christian. And I could go on. Yes it is there isn’t it? None of us are so pure and honourable are we – none us?

Now here we are reminded that there was nothing attractive or spectacular about Christ and Christianity. Here it says, there was going to be nothing beautiful and attractive about the Saviour, particularly when we look only on the surface. In fact it says, he would be despised and rejected – hung up on a cross to die a criminal’s death. There, to our way of thinking, we have the furtherest thing from victory, power, and new life. No, all good things there. In fact just the opposite! Nor is there outwardly a sudden transformation of us as individuals simply because we are Christians. No automatic health, wealth and happiness; freedom from the hassles and difficulties of life. So on the surface it looks so often to only be a sham and a waste of time.

From a worldly point of view Christianity has not got much going for it at all. Hence we have many, not talking about sin, Christ and the cross but loving, and living the Christian life: or focussing on making worship upbeat and entertaining. All kinds of things are focussed on because Christ crucified goes against the grain of our human way of thinking.

But we need to remember that it is there on cross that it all happens. There we have the pivotal point of history, and the one hope for mankind. There we have the genius of the Masters plan, despite the fact that it goes against the grain of our whole way of thinking, and that our reason and feelings say that it is just not on; and that there has to be something else, something more. No, there we have the central point of history. There we have the one determining factor as to whether we go to Heaven or Hell. There we find the one thing that makes us acceptable to God. As much as we might like to turn the focus in any number of other directions, there is no other way but to take Jesus Christ and his death on the cross seriously. There alone we have the real answer to life and what is important.

So with that in mind let us focus our attention for moment on that cross. Take away the shine, glitter and artiness of it all, and there see a rough old wooden cross, probably a couple of rugged spiky tree branches fixed together. And on that cross Jesus is hanging, in excruciating pain. Remembering, he had just had big nails smashed through his hands and feet, and that was now taking the whole weight of his body. Hanging out in the burning sun, with no respite;             no consolation; no comfort. Just the heckles and jeers of the crowd: And, for what? He’d done nothing wrong. He was innocent. He had done nothing what-so-ever to deserve it. And that is just the human side to his suffering and pain: Which was the least of his worries.

 In reality, there on the cross Jesus faces the terrible, righteous anger of God himself, even though he himself is innocent. He is being punished, and in fact being totally forsaken by his Father. There he is receiving everything that you and I, and every other human being deserves. It should be us that are hanging there! Every one of us! Because, all of us have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God. None of us are good enough! None us are acceptable to God on our own merits. And yet, there, Jesus hangs in our place. There, the Almighty’s holiness is unleashed against all our sin, and every sin committed by humanity; yours, mine, Hitler’s, and every other mad man’s, and every other human being’s. Every sin is receiving it’s punishment from God Almighty there on the cross. So there, we see real agony! There we see real pain! No wonder he screams out to his Father, ‘My God, my God why have you forsaken me?’ No wonder he died hours sooner than expected.

Yet you know, he willingly accepted all that on himself for our benefit. He went to the cross freely, so that we wouldn’t have to suffer eternal damnation: so that our slate may be wiped clean: and receiving forgiveness for our sins, be assured that friendship and acceptance by our Lord is there for us. And there is the big deal about Jesus Christ! There is the big deal about the cross! That is why our celebration here today is so important: so solemn: and so deeply moving. Sure there is no razzamatazz and glitter. No great show of power and might. But that is the way God has chosen to take care of yours and my stupidity: Even today. All, so that we can again, freely and easily, be a part of God’s family for all time.

And all of that happened there, on that awful cross, 2000 years ago. There, in great suffering and pain he does it all for you and me. So the Lord says, ‘It was my will that he should suffer; his death was a sacrifice to bring forgiveness. And so he will see his descendants; he will live a long life, and through him my purpose will succeed. After a life of suffering, he will again have joy; he will know that he did not suffer in vain. My devoted servant, with whom I am pleased, will bear the punishment of many, and for his sake I will forgive them. And so I will give him a place of honour, a place among great and powerful men. He willingly gave his life and shared the place of many sinners and prayed that they might be forgiven.’

 But now the question is, what are we going to do about it? Do we sit here as if it doesn’t really matter all that much: as if it was no big deal what he went through. Do we walk out of here and hardly give a thought to him for the rest of the week or year: Going about our life, not caring in least about what he has done for us. Do we now go about our Christian life merely thinking about ourselves and our importance and our feelings, and what we can do for God, and changing God’s word to suit ourselves, and the like. God help us if we do!

 No, surely, this again is a turning point for us all. Surely, this again must move us to look in grateful thanks to this one who endured so much for us. Since he has done all of that on the cross for us and for our salvation, we will look up to him with awe and appreciation. He will be for us, our Lord – the most important person and thing in our lives. We will cling to him for dear life, knowing that it is only through him that we are and will be anything at all.

 Knowing that through his death on the cross, we have forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation; and that by being joined to him and his death through Baptism, Holy Communion, and constant listening and reading of his Word, we can now go forward confidently, but humbly. Now we can face each and every day, not in our strength and ability, but with the constant assurance that our Lord Jesus goes with us. So we can face the hassles and terrors of life, as well as the joys and good times, and know that they all are not the last word. But that Jesus Christ and the cross are our one assurance that it will all work out.

So yes, that cross, is such a terrible thing, and what he went through is a crying shame. But thank God he did! Thank the Lord Jesus for his indescribable love for us. To him alone, be all glory and honour, now and always.   AMEN.

 Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish