Written by professors, graduates, and others in
the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary community, these reflections, prayers, and spiritual practices will take you along the journey with Jesus through the cross toward resurrection.
Friday, April 3, 2015
• Psalm 122
• John 18:1-19:30
“It is finished.” He spoke his last words, bowed his head and it was silent.
How did that happen? With his death, there are no more words from Jesus
They thought that this was exactly what they wanted
… for him to stop talking,
for him to stop preaching,
for him to stop teaching.
Now, with this last word, he will not speak to us anymore. Do you suppose in the silence that someone, anyone may have recognized how frightening this is?
He didn’t talk like we talk.
Blessed are the poor, the meek, the peacemakers …
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me
To preach good news to the poor.
You must be born again.
Love one another as I have loved you.
He was a rabbi who could see beyond our capacity for imagination.
Go the second mile,
Turn the other cheek
Love God with all that you are
Love neighbor as yourself
Love the enemy as if the enemy was also someone God loves.
They didn’t want to listen to that kind of craziness anymore. They made sure he had said his last word. That’s what crucifixion means … there will be no more words from Jesus. No more teaching from Jesus.
But they didn’t have to kill him.
It’s much better just to ignore him.
We know how to shut him up in a more civilized fashion.
Do you suppose in the silence they realized that he was not really the one who died that afternoon?
We tell ourselves we will do fine without his word.
We can raise our children.
We can spend our money
We can build our lives
and we don’t need any word from Jesus.
We can spend our time the way we want. We can treat our neighbor and our enemy the way we want. Who needs Jesus telling us how to live?
It is finished. He bowed his head and it was silent.
The irony …
If he stops speaking, he is not the one who dies.
– The Reverend Tom Are, Jr.
Pastor, Village Presbyterian Church, Prairie Village, Kansas, and Chair of the Austin Seminary Board of Trustees
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