Rev. David Holwick J
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
March 7, 2004
Hebrews 9:12-15
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I. Gore of Mel Gibson's movie.
A. Gushers and fountains of blood.
1) Seemingly endless torture.
2) (One member left during scourging scene and came back
ten minutes later. The flogging was still going on.)
B. It has been called a holy slasher film by critics.
1) The movie is among most violent made.
2) American Christians have criticized bad language and an
exposed boob - do we have a double standard when it
comes to violence?
II. The gospel and violence.
A. In public's mind, Jesus represents non-violence.
1) His famous teaching on turning the other cheek.
2) His healing of the guard's ear at his arrest.
a) "Those who live by the sword, die by the sword."
3) His forgiveness of his crucifiers.
a) "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
B. Yet his message has produced incredible violence.
1) His own death on the cross.
2) Brutal persecution of early Christians.
3) Brutal persecution BY later Christians.
a) Jewish anxiety about Passion film has long heritage.
1> Many passion plays of Middle Ages ended in violence.
2> Their blood has been upon their heads.
b) Crusades and Inquisitions.
1> Paul said in 2 Corinthians 10:4 --
"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons
of the world..."
2> Christians since then have preferred the world's
way.
C. Did Jesus fail?
1) He promised to bring a world of eternal peace.
a) But before that arrives, he would bring a sword.
b) He promised divisions among people.
c) Only in the end does peace come.
2) Violence is evil, but it is reality.
a) The Passion of Jesus really happened.
1> Perhaps not exactly like the film, but Jesus did
die a violent death.
b) Violence in our world is a continuing reality.
1> Explosions kill hundreds of worshippers in Iraq.
2> Bloodshed by thugs in Haiti.
3) Perhaps it takes violence to end violence.
III. The violence of the cross served a purpose.
A. Sin requires sacrifice.
1) A price must be paid.
a) Sacrifices had to be costly, not free.
2) A substitution must be made.
a) In Old Testament, an animal took the sinner's place.
b) This was imperfect and had to be repeated continually.
B. Old Testament has many examples of blood sacrifices.
1) To cleanse the sanctuary.
2) To cleanse the priests.
3) Day of Atonement - sacrifice made for nation. Exod 30:10
4) When a community or person sins unintentionally. Lev 4:13
5) Summary in Hebrews: without shedding of blood there is
no forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 9:22
C. New Testament upholds the same principle.
1) Jesus' death was an atoning death.
a) He took our place.
b) He paid our penalty.
1> He understood this and taught it to his followers.
2> He made it the focus of the Last Supper.
2) As a sacrifice, Jesus is different.
a) His was a single sacrifice, once and for all.
b) It does not need to be repeated, and indeed cannot be.
c) It cleanses our sins, and even our consciences.
IV. Blood is harsh.
A. Many modern people don't see the need for it.
1) A God who demands blood and substitutes isn't "nice."
Liberal scholar John Dominic Crossan writes:
"It is bad if not obscene theology to claim that God
demands victims rather than permanently offering
forgiveness, a gift as consistently present as the air
that surrounds us or the gravity that supports us."
#27018
2) Shouldn't the love of God be enough?
a) The love of God must be penetrated by his holiness.
b) To ignore either aspect is to create a false god.
B. There is a gulf between us and God.
1) We are in rebellion against our Creator.
a) How can that chasm be bridged?
b) Good works or religion will not do it.
2) Only the blood of Jesus can bridge that chasm.
a) Half of the gospels focus on Jesus' death.
C. HOW the blood does it is a mystery. #2938
1) There are several theories about atonement.
2) Most powerful view is that Jesus is our substitute.
a) This theme resounds from Genesis to Revelation.
V. You need the blood.
Peter Ruckman in his commentary on Colossians tells of a man who
joined the Army in 1938 as a born again Christian, but didn't
live out his faith.
He was captured when the Philippines fell, and somehow survived the
infamous Bataan death march.
For two years he was a prisoner of the Japanese.
One night while he was being moved, his jailers got drunk and he
slipped out of a porthole, and just made it to a nearby island.
For days he lived on what he could forage before he became aware of
military activity on the far side of the island.
Waiting till it was near dark he cautiously approached and saw
American helmets and landing craft.
Joyously he broke cover and ran towards them but was checked in
mid-stride by a challenge: "Stop! Give the password!"
He suddenly realized his short stature, emaciated state and near
nakedness made him look Japanese.
He said, "I-I don't know the password. My name is -- , my serial
number is -- . I joined up in 1938 in Maryland. I'm a G.I.!"
In return he heard the terrifying sound of the sentry drawing back
the bolt to chamber a cartridge.
"I've got orders to shoot anyone from the General down who doesn't
know the password."
The man cried out, "I don't know the password. I escaped off the
ship.
Don't kill me after all I've been through.
Look at me! I'm a G.I."
The sentry raised his rifle, "Sorry, buddy. I got orders.
Prepare to die."
He screamed out, "If you're gonna kill me, please - let me pray
first!"
The sentry relented, "O.K. Go on and pray. I'll give ya ten
seconds."
The man fell to his knees and said, "Lord they're gonna kill me.
I wanted to get home but you won't let me.
I'll see you in a minute.
I've lived like a devil and don't deserve anything.
When I see You, I don't want you to remember my good deeds any more
than my sins. Just remember Jesus Christ.
I just want You to see the Blood."
He fell silent and waited for the bullet.
Instead he heard the sentry say quietly, "That's the password -
blood. C'mon in."
(American forces usually choose passwords with an `L' sound in them,
because the Japanese would pronounce it with an `R'.)
The soldier became a pastor in Pennsylvania.
God says the same thing to us.
Here's the password: the blood of Jesus.
Only as we believe in the power of his cleansing blood, in his
sacrificial death, is our sin put away, our record wiped clean.
Only then will we be invited in.
#4810
After the Passion movie, many of our people were visibly moved.
One came up to me with tears in his eyes and said,
"Pastor, every morning I tell my wife that I love her.
Now I need to say the say thing to Jesus Christ."
Do you love what Jesus did for you?
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
# 2938 "Why Is Easter Unattractive?" Kenneth S. Kantzer, Christianity
Today magazine, March 18, 1983, page 7.
# 4810 "Do You Know The Password?" Ken [no last name given], Camp Hill,
Queensland, in Australia's Fair Dinkum E-zine;
http://members.iweb.net.au/~dinkum/dink43.htm
#27018 "Who Killed Jesus?" John Dominic Crossan,
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/124/story_12479_1.html,
February 1, 2004.
These and 25,000 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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