Sermon for Sunday, March 29, 2009

John 12: 20-33

"Sign Act"

Rev. Christopher Fazel

These days, most scholars agree that Jesus was a real historical person.  They even agree that the events of holy week – from triumphal entry on Palm Sunday, to the suffering and death of Good Friday are reasonable and acceptable as likely historical events.  Even most Jewish scholars can go with that. 

Now, concerning the events of Easter Sunday, these become, of course, a matter of faith.   As a person of faith myself, I wade into the puzzling accounts of the Resurrection every year at this time.  I suppose it’s true that I have spent the better part of my life trying to understand them.  I suppose that may say something a little strange about me.  But at least it seems to indicate that I’m in the right line of work!

  And I imagine that we have quite a variety of understandings and opinions concerning these reported events gathered here in these pews right now.  And therefore we are, in fact, a microcosm of the Christian church throughout its history.  Our Biblical accounts themselves do not agree entirely on the details of the resurrection. 

But I’d like to believe that most of us could agree on this much.  Whatever the resurrection was or wasn’t, it was a genuine experience that was shared by certain followers of Jesus – an experience that both bewildered and encouraged them.  I think it is safe to say that without the shared experience of the resurrection – whatever it was – the Christian church would not have come into being. Therefore, I can say for myself, that the Resurrection – as something experienced by real historical people – was and is a fact.  However, beyond that, it’s all speculation. 

But my question today isn’t really, “What happened?”  Rather it’s, “Why?”   In the gospel of Mark Jesus says that the Son of Man, obviously referring to himself, MUST suffer, die, and rise again.   But why!  Jesus himself doesn’t talk a lot about why.  He does say that the Son of Man will give his life as a ransom for many.  But that statement in itself is obscure.  The general view of the New Testament writers is that Jesus died for our sins.  Paul says so, and describes the death of Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement.   Peter says that Jesus bore our sins in his body upon the tree.  The writer of Hebrews says that Christ was both priest and sacrifice in one. 

But all this, of course, is imagery rooted in Israel’s practice of temple sacrifice.  It’s imagery, not explanation.  The question remains – why?   The answer to that question was left for generations of theologians to fight about.  And they have – for centuries.   My favorite bout took place in 12th Century Europe between Anselm of Canterbury and Abelard of Paris.  Anslem said that Christ had to die because in Adam we – the human race -- had all committed an offense against God, and the offense must be paid.  And the payment must be death.  But since God is God, only the death of God would be adequate payment.  Therefore God became human in Jesus to pay the dept.  There, finally, a logical explanation – so to speak. 

Abelard saw it differently.  According to Abelard the events of Holy Week were for Jesus a “sign act.”  If you’re familiar with the stories of our Old Testament prophets, you know that their revelations of the Word of God were not always delivered through the spoken word alone.  The prophets often performed what we call “sign acts.”  For example Jeremiah walked around Jerusalem bearing a great yoke on his shoulders to symbolize the yoke that Babylon would place upon Judah.  Ezekiel did a lot of sign acts.  One time he drew a picture of Jerusalem on an iron plate and lay down in the streets facing the plate as if he were Babylon’s army laying siege to the city. 

So, if the events of Holy Week were for Jesus a sign act, what was he teaching us?   Well, to start with he was demonstrating the kind of love and devotion God has for us; the intention being to inspire in us a response toward the same kind of compassion for one another.   And in the softening and opening of the human heart so moved by the love of Jesus, the human soul turns and is saved.  Now, I like that.

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