Who is in charge?

By that phrase, the early church means that, in the time between his burial and his resurrection, Jesus went to that condition of being where God was not.

That condition, the absence of God, is the opposite of heaven,which is the presence of God.

Why would the church say that?

Because those early believers wanted to confess that Jesus is there to proclaim good news to those who had died before he came to earth.

The way for us to grab hold of this idea is to say that ultimately there is no place, no corner, no situation in our lives where Jesus is not finally present and victorious.

That is Good News indeed, especially in those times when we are feeling lost, rejected, alone, confused, abandoned, or worthless.

Ultimately there is no place, no corner, no situation where Jesus is not finally present and victorious.

Luther thought it was a violent time, because Jesus must contend with Satan.

Luther thinks of it as a military expedition against the prince of evil.

Others have thought that “he descended into hell” can refer just as much to the time before Jesus' death, especially the time of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.

It was there that even the closest disciples melted away from him,

it was there he experienced profound loneliness,

is was there that the first half of Psalm 22 began anticipating the events of the Passion.

Still others have emphasized that Jesus on the cross deals with all those who have estranged themselves from God.

Jesus shows his willingness to reach all, no matter how far from God they have wandered,

no matter how hate-filled and vicious they can act,

no matter how lonely they may eventually be.

Jesus offers the hand of grace, again, in all the places that seem to have the absence of God.

These several approaches all converge on a central affirmation of the Good News:

no matter how dark, mysterious, and difficult life becomes, Christ is there.

No matter what we do to remove ourselves from the loving reach of God, we cannot do anything that will utterly, irretrievably remove ourselves from God.

Even in what seems like the absence of God, there Jesus has already been and declared his ultimate lordship over it all.

I think of Mother Teresa, who, we found out from her papers revealed after her death, often felt very alone, even abandoned by God.

Despite her fervent and regular prayers, answers from God did not come easily to her.

Despite all of the wonderful things she was inspiring others to accomplish in the name of Jesus, she still had these feelings.

If that was the case with her, how many more of us may feel that spiritual loneliness at various times in our lives?

Hold onto that phrase in the creed “he descended into hell” as wonderful good news.

With determination, Jesus wants us to know this, and so with deliberate pace Jesus moves through his ministry, preaching, teaching, healing, listening, comforting, reproving

until everyone can know that he is there for them all.

When we read straight through John, it begins to sound like a procession that moves from one indicating sign to another.

It began with the water to wine for the celebration at the wedding at Cana in Galilee.

Jesus moves on to

--several stories of healings,

--the feeding of the 5,000,

--giving sight to the blind,

--the nature of the good shepherd,

--and finally the returning of Lazarus to his former life, as we heard this past Sunday.

It is a relatively small number of stories, but they become the occasions for extended teaching as Jesus reveal a bit more about the nature of his kingship.

As he proceeds around the country, we learn more and more.

And Jesus is the one in charge of the entire procession; all of these things are purposefully done, all the way to the cross.

The idea of the approach of Jesus' “hour” is repeated throughout the gospel; like a bell it sounds seven times in the chapters leading up to the passion, with increasing volume.

At the culmination in the “High Priestly” prayer in chapter 17, Jesus says that his “hour” is now come, and the passion narrative begins.

In John's telling of the Passion, Pilate is on trial much more than Jesus.

Pilate is in the Praetorium and then out to the crowd 7 times as he demonstrates how weak this powerful man truly is.

Jesus is in charge even here.

And after the verdict is announced, Jesus is handed over for execution at the same time as the lambs were being handed to the priests in the Temple in preparation for celebrating the Passover.

“Behold the Lamb of God” , John the Baptizer had announced [1:29], and that is fulfilled here.

“I am the Good Shepherd” who gives his life for the sheep, Jesus had proclaimed.

He also teaches his disciples that he is the one who carries out the will of the Father.

He is the final Judge, rather than the judged.

He is the King who is the suffering servant of whom Isaiah wrote. [Is.53]

He is the Messiah, the true King of Israel for whom they have been waiting, but looking in the wrong places.

The entire passion narrative and indeed the whole Gospel is designed to encourage us with the knowledge that Jesus is the one in charge.

Jesus has felt the weight of every trouble, he knows our weaknesses and failings far better than we do, and still he is able to say “You are mine, anyway.” Good News!

On this darkest of days,

We thus are enabled to sing with the poet about the One in charge:

Now he who bore for mortals' sake

The cross and all its pains

And chose a servant's form to take,

The King of glory reigns.

Hosanna to the Savior's name

Till heaven's rafters ring,

And all the ransomed host proclaim

”Behold, behold your King.” [#826.4] Amen.

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.