John
19:1-16a
An
Upside-Down World – This
is a story of reversals: people being and doing other than expected, other than
who they are. Pilate—the Roman governor—takes the side of the Jewish rabbi who
may rival Caesar. Three times, Pilate declares, “I find no fault in this man.”
The Jewish religious leaders clamor for the death of one of their own while
affirming allegiance to Caesar! What in the world?! What brings on these kinds of
reversal? We need to know because we’re guilty of the same thing at times.
Reversals
– Reversals grow mostly out of fear. Pilate fears for his job, and he fears
the Jewish leaders who have caused problems for him in the past. The Jewish
leaders fear the new ideas and popularity of this rabbi. They all fear upsetting
the precariously balanced cart of status quo that keeps the peace in Judea.
Reversals
Today –In the important
story of Creation, God makes us stewards creation (Gen. 1:26-30). While we expect
Christians champion Creation care, we often find a reversal—Christians simply
ignore or even work against Creation care. Why?
Often,
people act out of fear of being labeled. Tragically, conservatives and
progressives have divvied up the world. Environment (Creation care) now falls
to the side of progressives, so if anyone suggests anything about caring for
Creation, they are labeled. They choose to remain silent out of fear
of what others will think or how they’ll be labeled though Scripture is clear
on the issue—we are charged with caring for Creation.
In
the New Testament, Jesus speaks much about wealth and finances. Christians should
know where to stand on the side of fiscal responsibility. We should champion
financial responsibility…personal and national. We should support reigning in
wasteful spending and seeking a balanced budget, but too many Christians take a
reversal because fiscal responsibility is a theme championed by conservatives.
Too many Christians remain silent out of fear of what others may think or how
they’ll be labeled though Scripture is clear—we are to be
fiscally responsible.
This
is important to Jesus – When religious leaders declare that Jesus
casts out demons because he’s possessed by demons (Mark 4), Jesus says, “…Truly
I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they
utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy
Spirit will never be forgiven…” (Mark 3). As Isaiah says, “Woe to those
who call evil good and good evil….” (Isa. 5:20). When we call what is of God
“not of God,” we are disowning God and ourselves as Christians.
Conclusions
– Reversals: Being who we
are not or taking a stand opposed to all we claim as Christians...often out of fear. We
may be afraid that if we side with Jesus we may be labeled. In the
Gospels, Jesus is called/labeled “a drunkard,” “a glutton,” “a
sinner,” “a Samaritan,” “a friend of tax collectors,” and “a friend of
prostitutes.” How does Jesus react? He doesn’t. He doesn’t let labels stop him
from standing on the side of God, on the side of agape-love…loving kindness.
For any issue I face, I now ask, 1. What does Jesus show or teach about this?
2. What does the New Testament say or teach about this? 3. What does anything
in Scripture show or say about this?
Call
me progressive, call me conservative, call me smart or call me dumb, call me
too Gringo or too Valle. Call me what you will—I stand with Jesus and for those
things Jesus stands for. When you and I stand with Jesus, we not only stand together, we
stand on the side of God. As John has said over and over, in Jesus we find
life...life to the full, lasting life,
eternal life.
O God, what do I need to do differently,
what needs to change in my life?
Show me what I need to let go off; show me what I need to take up…
That I may grow closer to You. Amen
May
we all follow Jesus…always…in all things, for in him we find life. Amen.
Sunday, March 22, 2026
Towards the Cross - Reversals
Watch/Listen: HERE
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