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Sounds of the Passion: Sloshing Water :: John 13:1-15 (34-35)

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[Out of sight, behind the pulpit, pour water into a bowl.]  [Introduction] Did you hear that? It’s the sound of water being poured from a pitcher into a bowl.  [Show the bowl, set it down, and pour more.] That was a common sound in the days before running water. It was common in every bedroom to have a pitcher and basin to wash in before beginning the new day. And the sound of sloshing water had a special significance in the Passion of our Lord. The sound signified a special cleaning ... By washing his disciples’ feet, Jesus made the disciples clean.  Jesus also gave us a washing. He washed us in Baptism. Through the washing of water and the Word of God, he made us clean. So tonight, therefore, listen ... WE HEAR THE SOUND OF SLOSHING WATER TO REMIND US OF OUR CLEANSING 1. To understand the importance of sloshing water, we need to remember the customs in Jesus’ day.  First, anything dealing with the feet was considered dirty and disgusting. Cleaning feet was fit ON...
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Have in Mind the Humility of Christ :: Philippians 2:5-11

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[Introduction] The Palm Sunday parade for our Lord Jesus is one of the more vibrant scenes in the Bible, and it gets people excited. Today we see and hear Jesus coming. And THAT’s exciting. Like the Greeks who went up for worship in our Gospel reading, we also long to see Jesus (Jn 12:21).  Now picture this: the streets of Jerusalem are packed with people, ten times more than normal, all for one of the most important celebrations of the year, Passover. Many of those people had heard about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (Jn 12:1). As Jesus entered the city, all but a handful of them began singing ... Hosanna to the Son of David ... that is, Save us, please, Jesus!  While Roman leaders typically entered Jerusalem from the north on war horses to display their pride and power, Jesus has come riding a donkey from the east in humility. By identifying Jesus as the Son of David, the people are acknowledging that he is in fact the Messiah ... the Prophet like Moses. And by paving...
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Sounds of the Passion: Shouting Mobs :: John 18:37-19:16

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You never know what will happen when you bring a lot of people together. Sometimes it brings out the best in people, a positive energy that enables people to get things done. But more than likely, researchers find that when people get together in a group, the anonymity of the crowd lowers the bar for personal responsibility. The anonymity of the crowd allows people to make irrational decisions. And before you know it, the group begins to ignore risks, censor dissension, and develop a false sense of communion. A great example is found during Holy Week.  LISTEN TO THE SOUNDS OF THE PASSION FROM A SHOUTING MOB I. Typically, Jerusalem’s population was just 20,000 people. But on weeks like Passover, it blossomed to 200,000. People would camp in the streets. They would camp outside the city walls. They would camp wherever they could find a corner. They would camp together, finding safety in  numbers. It’s no wonder the chief priests and Pharisees feared what would happen if they arr...
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He Has Provided Salvation on the Mountain :: Genesis 22:1-14

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And Abraham called the name of that place, YHWH will provide (v 14).  [Introduction] Scripture was written to tell us about Jesus. As that sign on the wall in the back of the sanctuary says, It’s still all about Jesus! Every word of it. It’s all about how YHWH shows us our salvation. When Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible ... Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, he was writing about Jesus as the promised redeemer who fulfills the Law, who acts as the ultimate sacrifice and completes the story of salvation. It’s all there: His birth, his life, his death, his resurrection. Consider that Genesis 3 promises that the son who crushes sin, death, and the devil will come from the woman (v 15) and that God will cover our sin and shame (v 21). Genesis 37-50 describes his death and resurrection. It tells us that our redeemer will come from Judah, and that there is unconditional forgiveness. Exodus then highlights that God is always with us and that he sets us free...
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