160 the story of the cross part 1 pew ed

“The Story of the Cross” Part 1 Canon Graeme Winterton atHoly Trinity Kew - Christ The King - 20th. Nov. 2016

Luke 23::33 - 43 The Crucifixion 1. Today’s Gospel recounts events at the cross which appear out of place in the approach to Advent and Christmas. It is difficult to see the connection with Good Friday. This is the Last Sunday of the Christian year. The cycle of readings recommences with a new church year next week leads us from the announcement of Christ’s coming and tells the story of his life and ministry and ends, as it does today with the triumphant declaration that Christ is King.

2. Why is the cross given such prominence at this time of the year?

It seems so out of context when all the world around us is already gearing up for Christmas. The drama and tragedy of the crucifixion just seems so out of place in today’s world; and out of place too in the church as it proclaims Christ is King — a contradiction, an interruption.

3. Why have the Church Fathers appeared to have it so wrong?

Or is there a compelling reason for such an apparent contradiction?

The more I asked the question, and the closer I looked, the more certain I became that the church draws attention to the cross at this stage in the year for a very sound and strong reason.

4. It is a deliberate strategy. The Church Fathers chose the scriptural practice of pointing to the cross by inference and interruption as a way of reminding us that whoever and whatever else engages our attention and time and energy and effort – nothing, but nothing else, is more important than the cross! The cross is the preeminent theme of the Church; the constant theme of the prayer book and the overarching theme of the bible. The Cross casts a long shadow and most often interrupts the flow of records and events.

5. The biblical narrative is frequently interrupted by out of context statements about the cross! Let me give just two examples:

The first comes early, at the height of Jesus’ popularity. Matthew is giving an account of his public demonstration of power ( mass healings; feeding of 5000; walking on the

water) and the record is interrupted.

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Matt.16:21

The most significant interruption occurs during the account of the Transfiguration: [ Moses and Elijah appeared, talking with Jesus about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem Jesus told the Twelve, We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. Luke 9:30 ff ]

6. The statement nothing else is more important than the cross also also begs

the question ‘Why is it so?’ Surely the incarnation and the resurrection are central facts of the Faith. ‘Why the emphasis by the Fathers on the cross?’

The answer is found in the fact that The bible reveals the cross as the means by which God acts in human history to impart salvation and redemption and restore the broken relationship of the world and its people with himself. The cross is the vehicle by which the outworking and final completion of God’s eternal purpose is accomplished.

7. For this supreme reason the church makes sure we never forget the cross by repeating it every which way in the festivals, the biblical readings, and at the centre of every celebration of the Holy Communion. Everything else is secondary – everything in the biblical account in the Old and the New Testaments point to the cross — everything!

Divine Drama 8. Think of the story of the cross as a television documentary; very much like documentaries most of us have watched which trace the rise of Hitler’s Third Reich in the 1930’s Imagine it as a series of images including maps and documents and reconstructed events in historical sequence which lead to an inevitable conclusion.

The television script writer presents the biblical record as an account of moments in history in which God’s presence is clearly evident. The script focuses upon divine interruptions which pinpoint the cross from the very beginning of all things.

And now, let us watch the drama unfold

SCENE 1 - ETERNITY 1.1 The opening scen focuses upon eternity backgrounded with stunning images of the cosmos and whirling glaxies in deepest space.

The narrator says We read of the eternity of Jesus, of his pre-existence from before the foundation of the world

Two ancient texts are shown "In the beginning was the Word and word was with God and the Word was God." And, "in him all things were created, through him and in him and for him; he is before all things and in him all things cohere and hold together."

There is no doubt - the story of the cross begins in the timelessness of eternity with the pre existence of the Eternal Son of God.

1.2 The narration continues from deep space :

We read of conflicting supernatural forces. The conflict is with God and all that

we know of evil personified in a being variously named as Lucifer and Satan. Satan is the very essence of evil and seeks to usurp the place of God The eternal Son is the focus of the enmity and conflict - The conflict involves the Divine purpose and intention for the creation the world and God’s purposes for humanity.

SCENE 2 - EARTH 2.1 The scene changes as we spin through the universe to earth. on screen we read: “The cosmos, planet earth, and humanity suffer collateral damage.”

A rapid series of graphic images showing chaos in nature and human affairs St. Paul’s explanation appears:

"The creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice; it will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God."

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2.2 The picture fades to black and remerges at the very beginning of human life.

Genesis reveals that the cosmic conflict touches human kind and this beautiful blue planet in which we live. The account of Eden is the story of how the balance and harmony of nature and its interaction with God and humanity is destroyed in what is known as ‘The Fall’. The scriptures reveal how the tragedy plays out in history and the lives of us all. Failure, disappointment, exploitation, corruption, and annihilation of good. The cross is implied in this very early statement: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." A very clear reference to the curse upon the serpent Satan, and a prophecy of the finished work of Christ upon the cross.

SCENE 3 - THE HISTORY & INCIDENCE OF DIVINE INTERVENTION

The theme of the cross is dominant in the Old and New Testaments and casts its shadow over the lives of people and historical events.

3.1 The following scenes are a Holywood producer’s dream.

Producers have exploited the stories with varying degrees of accuracy and unbridled license • God acts in the covenants with Noah, Abraham and David; and In the history

of the Hebrew tribes; • God speaks in the prophecies of Isaiah to Malachi and in line after line of the poetry and psalms of Israel. • God foreshadows the cross in the sacrifices rituals and ceremonies of the temple worship and supremely in the festivals of the Day of Atonement and the Passover.

3.2 The New Testament record of intervention is even more specific and dramatic.

• An Archangel speaks to Mary • Angels and the hosts of heaven appear to shepherds. • Miracles and prophecy are witnessed in the temple • The voice of God is heard at the Jordan River • The common people experience miracles over three years of Jesus’ ministry. • The voice of God is heard by Greek visitors.

• The disciples at the Transfiguration enter eternity to see and hear the divine plan. • Cosmic disturbance as Jerusalem witnesses the cry of creation and the whole earth darkens and shakes at the moment of his death. • The disciples encounter the risen Christ

Movies made in our life time have brought many biblical events to life.

Rename such films as the ‘Story of the Cross’ because the biblical record tells that it is God who is acting in the events and through the people involved. Put them all together and the extent of God’s intervention is quite amazing.

9.

SCENE 4 - EARTH FROM ETERNITY

In the fourth scene the camera once again fades through black and takes us from the curvature of the earth on a stunning excursion into the universe and then back again to the fixed image of Salvador Dali’s crucifixion scene of Jesus suspended between heaven and earth. The narrator now asks us to consider the cross from the Divine viewpoint of eternity to see what is really happening on Golgotha’s hill.

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4.2 The intensity of the drama heightens as the folowing explanation is Page 3

given from a backdrop of the heavens which slowly fades to an image of the crucifixion.

We know that evil has sought without success to neutralise Jesus at critical points in his earthly life and ministry. But now, at the time of Passover, in the city of the King of Peace, all the fury of evil is launched through corrupt officials, religious leaders, mob violence, and legal manipulation.

The satanic purpose is to destroy Jesus on the cross and through his death destroy God's ultimate purposes. At the cross evil is met head to head with the Lord of all life .

SCENE 5 - JERUSALEM

10. The closing scene as recorded in scripture is well known by everyone.

However, at the personal level, your faith and experience of God, or the absence of faith and commitment to Christ means that you have already determined the ending to the documentary we have followed today.

Each of us have already chosen one of two endings! Endings which are an expression of the secret belief we hold about Jesus Christ.

5.1 First ending The camera holds a long shot from the temple mount and a forlorn figure hangs lifeless upon a cross as the light fades to the sound of hollow mocking laughter and selfcongratulation. No life. No future. No hope!

5.2 Second ending The camera pulls back to observe a joyous crowd of over five hundred people listening intently to their risen Lord as he instructs them to go into all the world, to observe to teach and to make disciples. As he ascends a voice is heard, why do you stand gazing into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go.

11. It is a tremendous challenge which comes from Jesus Himself

The Saviour said: Anyone who does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. lf anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

When people take up the cross they inevitably change the final scene of the drama. The cross becomes the passage from death to life. Like Jesus you and I are asked to choose the cross, for unless we do, we can never expect to achieve the crown.

12. There is no mistaking the intention of the Fathers of the Church.

Conflict and triumph cannot be separated!

The death of Jesus on the Cross and the Kingship of Jesus are two sides of one coin. ‘No Cross no Crown’ By means of the cross evil is irrevocably overcome. The triumph of the cross is celebrated in the recognition of the Resurrected Christ as King of Eternity. It is the reason we read of the story of the cross on this Sunday of Christ the King!

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