We’re entering the last week of the Lenten journey and I wish I could have an opportunity to talk with each of you and to hear what kind of self-denial practices you’ve had during this season. One of the things I’ve been praying for - can I use an old-fashioned word? – is revival in the church. And, I mean the whole church of God’s people.  In the American church especially, we can be singing to Jesus Hosanna and praise on Sunday but then get caught up in the political arguments of the week. By our attitudes, words and actions we’re yelling crucify him by the end of the week. Let’s pray together for the awaking of God’s church in this Easter season.

 Lord Jesus, this week we travel with You as we rehearse that last week leading up to Your death on the cross. We pray together right now that there may be a real death to ourselves and the church, so there can be real resurrection, and the world will see the true You in our lives and our words. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Open your Bibles to the Palm Sunday gospel of John 12. We’re looking at the events beginning on Sunday of Easter week, when Jesus was in the parade and people were hailing him as the new political alternative to the current Roman administration. By the end of the week, however, they were cursing and condemning him with their words. In John 12, the parade begins. By verse 20, people begin coming to Jesus because they heard that whatever problem they had Jesus could solve. If you are out of work, Jesus can bless you with bread. If the doctor can’t help you with your sickness, here’s the miracle worker who can. But Jesus’ tells his disciples to turn the crowds away, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” When he talks about glorified, he’s not talking about resurrection; he’s talking about his death. The cross. “Very truly I tell you unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” What Jesus is talking about in John 12:24 is the fruitfulness of your life. In other words, by the time you get to your death, what will be the result of your life? What will live beyond you? What will you be known for? Chapter 12 continues… “Those who love their life will lose it while those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me and where I am my servant also will be, and my Father will honor the one who serves me. Now my soul is troubled and what shall I say, Father save me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” So, you see, our fruitfulness is not about our own blessings and prosperity but the fruitfulness of our lives. The end of our life should result in the glory of God, or the revelation of God through our lives.

 Now what is so hard about this whole last Easter week is it’s about dying. And dying is hard. Carolyn and I have been journeying with a young woman in our church. We’ve know her for 30 years since she was 13 years old – Julie Hudson. Julie is in her last hours of life in Hospice Care. We celebrated communion in her room on the Monday evening, before I left for Korea. I sat with Julie and I said “It’s okay to surrender to the Lord, because death is the ultimate healing”. And she said, “Mike, I’m not afraid to die because I know with whom I’m going to be, but I want to see my daughter when she gets married. I want to hold my grandchildren some day.”  What I’ve learned so much from Julie is the precious nature of this life. And there is an instinct in all of us for either fight or flight. We want to hold on to every single moment of this life. But here’s the paradox of faith. To truly live you have to die - both in this world and the world to come.

 Last May I had the privilege of traveling with our state department to Israel to be a part of week-long peace talks. There were two ambassadors, several of our government officials, a religious person and some faculty from Princeton and Harvard in the group. Our meetings began on Monday, and we were done on Friday. Instead of flying back on Saturday, I booked my ticket for Sunday so I could spend all day Saturday walking the Via De La Rosa. It’s the way of the cross, or the path Jesus walked through the old city of Jerusalem. Every day Christians from all over the world travel this pilgrimage, the way of the cross, which Jesus traveled on Good Friday. As people walk it, they carry their shoes and socks and walk barefoot over the cobblestone road. I began with my Bible in hand on that Saturday morning from where Jesus was tried and condemned to execution by way of the cross, and to the jail cell where he was held. Jerusalem of Jesus’ time is 8 feet below the current road level so I had to go down into this cave-like prison structure to the cell where Jesus was held. What was so amazing is that I was the only one there. It’s been turned into a little chapel. I got to kneel there and pray and read the accounts of the unfolding of the condemnation and his beating. The grooves cut in the road were to provide traction when the roads were wet or it snowed. My journey ended late that afternoon at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which by all archeological evidence is assumed to be the site where Jesus was crucified and buried.

 Notice it’s called Via De La Rosa, the way of the cross. It’s not called the way of the resurrection. You and I want to go the way of the resurrection. “Lord, give it to us right now. Bless us and deliver us” But, you can never get to the destination of the resurrection in this life or in the life to come, apart from the commitment to travel the road less traveled. The majority of the people will never go the way of the cross.

 A great book I recommend is by a German Lutheran pastor by the name of Dietrich Bonheoffer, who gave his life in a Nazi concentration camp. The book is called The Cost of Discipleship. He understood what that meant when Hitler hung him on a Sunday morning after he preached to the concentration camp and offered communion to anyone who wanted to come to Jesus Christ. Hitler hung him two hours before the Allied forces liberated that concentration camp. Since Bonheoffer was such a thorn in Hitler’s side, Hitler said “That man must die before they are ever set free.” Dietrich Bonheoffer wrote, “When Jesus Christ calls a person he bids them to come and die.” Now what are we to die to, because dying is hard? You and I as followers of Jesus must die to worldly, political, partisan power structures and pursue an alternative path. Now what we see in John 12 is that people were looking for a political savior who would offer a political solution. Look at John 12:13 with me. “They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, blessed is the King of Israel.’ What they were doing was allowing their political ideologies to interpret their biblical theology rather than using a sound biblical theology to determine their politics. What Jesus is exposing here is the contrast of two radically divergent paths. Look at John 12:23. Jesus replied, “The hour has come…” Remember, these people are looking for a political savior who will free them from the current administration of the Roman Empire. So, Jesus says, “the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” This word “glorified” was a politically-charged word. The time of Jesus was the period of Rome in its height of glory. Rome was referred to as the glory of Rome. It’s the same word used in this passage. It referred to wealth, prestige, political influence and power. So when the emperor elevated anyone to a political position, they were glorified – same word – into that position. This meant they were glorified into a position of influence, political power, prestige and wealth.  Now what Jesus is exposing is the contrast between two contradictory opposing ways. There is the way of the cross, and there is the way of worldly success and partisan political power, and you can’t walk both ways.

 You and I are living in a time of a deep cultural and political divide in America. We are experiencing the polarization of extremes, and Christians have gotten completely caught up in it. We are guilty of demeaning and demonizing those with whom we disagree, despite our claims of belief in a Savior who directs us to bless, and not curse, our enemies. Jesus himself was the target of this same type of demonizing. When people thought Jesus was going to be the political solution for dethroning the Roman administration, he was the hero. He was leading the political parade. But, the same crowd who had shouted Hosanna on Sunday had by Friday discovered that their desired political path wasn’t the path that Jesus was walking. They then made Jesus the object of their angry and murderous slander. Perhaps many in the crowd caught up in the emotional chant “crucify him” didn’t intend for their angry rant to be taken literally. It was only an expression of utter outrage to the perceived threat of what Jesus’ leadership represented. Nevertheless, our words create physical consequences.

I can’t tell you as a believer in Jesus Christ how pained I have been by events surrounding the healthcare vote in Congress. United States congressional representatives were allegedly spit on and threatened. Some reliable sources say they heard the “N” word shouted. A Senator was the target of anti-gay slurs.

One senior staff member used the non-reconciling charge: “If they punch you, punch back twice as hard.” Members of both parties have used the term “Nazi” in slanderous ways. And, many Christians have been caught up in this extreme political rancor. After the healthcare vote in the House, a well known radio pundit declared, “We have to eliminate these people.” Those are harsh, inflammatory words. Surely there are better ways to debate and express strongly held positions. Why not say, “We must elect new officials, ones who have better and new ideas”? I am pretty sure this radio personality didn’t mean for his words to be taken literally, but there are some crazies out there who will buy into this kind of virulent passion and attempt to do just that. Another sister, who is a Christian, used the same kind of inflammatory language when she said, “It’s time to reload.” She went on to say that she wasn’t advocating violence, but these words aren’t fueling positive solutions in these volatile times; they are fueling partisan division. We have allowed worldly, political ideology to determine our theology rather than using a sound biblical theology to determine our politics. We have become much more passionate about political debate than we are about witnessing for Jesus Christ. We should each ask ourselves, “How many times over the past two weeks have I participated in passionate political debate compared to the number of times I’ve shared just as passionately about Jesus Christ changing my life?”

“Blue” and “red” kingdoms are worldly systems that are passing away. By their very nature, they are systems that create barriers of division. The way of the cross is eternal; it tears down the dividing walls that stand between us. Look at Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” The way of the cross is not a way of division; it’s a way of reconciliation. We as Christ followers are to offer an alternative way. We are not the Tea Party, or the Coffee Party, or even the RC Cola Party. Christ compels us to tear down the barriers that create religious, ethnic, gender and national conflict. If it’s not about healing and reconciliation, it’s not the Gospel. “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility… (Ephesians 2:14).” People were singing Jesus’ name and praising him on Sunday, but they were voting for Barabbas on Friday because he was the political zealot offering a popular partisan solution for defeating an unpopular Roman administration. We will never experience the power of God, or fully realize God’s fruitful purpose, as long as we default to worldly partisan, political solutions and ideologies rather than the way of the cross. The first by its very nature divides; the way of the cross reconciles.

Frankly, we can’t walk both paths. We can’t walk the path of partisan politics and the way of the cross. If Jesus is Lord that means Caesar isn’t. We are called to a higher way to demonstrate an alternative reality.

 We have to die to sin. Even though it’s not implicit in this exact passage, it’s all throughout the New Testament. Romans 6:11 says 'in the same way count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." One of the things we’ve been infected by is this spirit of humanistic expressive individualism. In other words, we’ve bought into this thing where there’s no universal truth and it’s really up to each individual to determine what is right or wrong for them. So we incorporate this into Christian faith. And we have become experts at rationalization. “Why would it be wrong for me to have this affair? My wife doesn’t understand me, I’m not happy and surely God would want me to be happy.” We forget and make ourselves the exceptions rather than realizing that we are supposed to be the example of God’s absolute truth on planet Earth.

 The Bible says this; pursue holiness for apart from holiness no one can see God. This toxic thinking where you can be saved and live like hell is wrong! You can’t! Pursue holiness, for apart from holiness no one can see God. Do you know what holiness means?  It means to be set apart to. Set apart from sin and set apart for God.

 It’s Passover this coming week for the Jews. They celebrate what God did through deliverance in the Exodus. So when they have the Passover meal on Thursday evening, they have entirely different cookware and plates that they don’t use for anything else. They can’t use their ordinary everyday dishes, it’s set apart. You are the same! You’re set apart for God’s purpose in the world. That means your mouth can only say what God wants to say. That means your brain can only think from Christ’s perspective. Your body is set apart for God’s purpose. I had a female best friend in college, and we did everything together. We went to college together. We studied together. We worked in the grocery store together. We went to drive-in movies together. Her dad had season tickets to Reds’ games, so we went to games together. We did everything together, but we never dated. She typed every paper I had in college. Would you say she liked me a little bit? But we could never date. You know why? She wasn’t a Christian, and I was. I’m not my own. And when Carolyn came into my life, she didn’t like Carolyn. She refused to come to our wedding. So it didn’t matter what I liked or I wanted. I’m holy or set apart. Holiness is life brought into conformity with the purpose of God. It is a mind that yields to the revealed word of God. It’s a mouth that speaks the love of God. It’s hands and feet that serves the purpose of God. And until we die to the rationalization of sin, we will never experience the power of God or fruitfulness of his purpose in our life.

 What else do we have to die to? Look at verse 27 with me. Jesus didn’t have to die to sin like you and I did. But he had to renounce the partisan, political structures of his day, and he had to die to self. This is the third thing. “Now my soul is troubled and what shall I say, Father save me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Sometimes we get a little confused about what it means to take up our cross, bear our cross. I was talking to a woman the other day, and this woman said to me “Pastor, I know I should’ve listened to my mom 25 years ago. I made a mistake when I married my husband but I’m committed to this marriage and I guess he is just the cross I have to bear.” No, that’s not the cross you have to bear, that’s the stupidity you have to bear. There’s a difference. The cross is way more than bearing up under painful situations. The cross Jesus bore was not his own: it was yours and mine. The cross the Jesus was carrying was not his pain and brokenness. He was carrying the pain and brokenness of the world. So often, we don’t care about the world’s pain and brokenness until it shows up at our front door. Someone said to me not long ago, “Mike, we’ve been over there in Darfur all this time. Why are we with those people way over there in Darfur? We have enough problems here.” Please hear me. If it’s a concern for the people in Darfur, it’s a concern for God. Now listen to what Jesus said in verse 26. “Whoever serves me must follow me and where I am my servant will be also.” So if there is pain or brokenness in Darfur, then Jesus takes that pain and brokenness upon himself. Wherever he is, his servants will be also.

 I don’t know about you, but I hear about 15% of you are unemployed. However, I’m doing pretty well. I have a nice healthcare plan. Anybody here unemployed? Anybody lose their healthcare? See if that is a concern for you, it’s a concern for God. “Whoever serves me must follow me and where I am my servant will be also.” That means if it’s a problem for people in Darfur that Jesus takes that problem upon himself and it becomes my problem. Darn it! Even if I have a good job with health insurance, if you’ve lost yours and it’s become a problem for you, it’s a concern for God…are we on the same page? What it means to take up our cross is that Jesus laid down his will and his self-interest for the world. And if you and I are going to follow him, then we have to die to ourselves and lay down our self-interest for the interest of the world.

 We don’t know this book, the Bible. People have asked, “Why are we supposed to help people who don’t have healthcare? Doesn’t it say somewhere in the Bible to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps? I did not pull myself up by my own bootstraps. Jesus had to die to get my behind up. I’m not promoting any plan. I don’t know if we have the right healthcare solution. I don’t know. I’m just saying that if it’s a problem for anybody in the world, it’s the concern of God. Jesus takes that on himself and we must take that on ourselves. People say, “Doesn’t the Bible say God helps those who help themselves?” That is nowhere in the Bible. We have to fully understand the context of this book. Most people don’t understand that glorified is a politically-charged word that contrasts the way of the cross and the way of worldly power. We have to be in this book on a daily basis. You can’t take my word for it, or any other pastor’s word for it. You have to discover the context of everything in the word that God is speaking out of. Then, we must align every thought, every attitude and every word that comes from our mouth with God’s word, lay aside our selfishness, pick up our cross and follow him. Amen.