Holy Cross Day
Text: John 12:32
Surely, you’ve all been there—sitting on the curb or in a comfy chair on the side of the main street through town, waiting for the festivities to begin. As the clock ticks by, and for the millionth time, a child asks, “When is it going to begin?” You tell them, “Soon,” and in the distance, you see it. You tell the child to stand up, place your hand upon your heart, son. “I see the flag coming now.”
This is how our parades start in America, showing love and respect for our country and for those who gave their lives in the fight for freedom. And whether you realize it or not, this is a type of procession.
There is a beauty to this pageantry in America; it unites us under the banner of Old Glory - the Red, White, and Blue.
If you take a step back, life is full of processions, and they either unite us as a country, a community, a family, or the Church, or they divide us from one another.
Life is full of processions.
There’s the parade that unites the community. Or the wedding march that brings a man and woman together in marriage. Each morning, you awake, go through your routines, and join the morning commute as you journey to work. As the night comes, children process one by one to the bathroom to wash up, brush teeth, and prepare for sleep.
Yet, there are other processions in life, such as protests or demonstrations through city streets, which are often signs of disagreement. Sadly, there are marches to war and armed conflict by the armies of opposing nations and views. And there is the journey to the grave.
Yes, life is full of processions.
But these are not new to us; they have been part of man’s story since the beginning of time. After Adam and Eve brought sin to mankind, they were sent and led out of paradise. Barred from entering the garden.
In reality, from this moment forward, the only choice for Adam, Eve, and their descendants is forward, to the cross, where Jesus, the long-awaited Seed of woman, promised by the Creator, will redeem man from sin and death.
And so, the whole accounting of the Old Testament documents one great procession of God’s people marching to the cross.
In fact, this is what Jesus is speaking of in today’s Gospel as He said,
But for this purpose I have come to this hour. … Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:27b, 31-32)
Think about this, Jesus triumphantly enters Jerusalem to the crowds clamoring for Him and chanting, Hosanna – “Save us now.”
Could there be a better procession than this?
Look at all the people who have gathered around and come to Him for rescue.
However, this is not how Jesus says He will draw and gather all people to Himself; He says this occurs when He is lifted up from the earth upon the tree of the holy cross. The hour when the crowds scattered from Jesus. The time when His disciples dispersed and ran away from His presence. The instance when it seemed all hope was lost.
This is one of the confusing aspects of the cross.
Jesus’ journey to Calvary is one entire act of humiliation, starting from the moment He was conceived by the Virgin Mary and became man. The God-man took on and shared in your flesh, feelings, struggles, sadness, loss, and even your temptations.
As Saint Paul wrote to the Philippians,
And being found in human form, [Jesus] humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:8)
The cross now becomes the transformational place of Jesus’ enthronement and the beginning of His exaltation as He now descends into the depths of hell to proclaim His victory over sin, death, and the Devil - to those imprisoned in hades.
As St. Paul writes to the Corinthians,
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22)
And for this reason, the cross is now an instrument and symbol of Jesus Christ that gathers and leads God’s children.
The tired, the poor in spirit, the masses yearning for hope.
For this, Jesus said,
And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32)
What a beautiful symbol.
Unfortunately, the flag of the United States, the old red, white, and blue, has ceased to be the banner that calls, rallies, and gathers its citizens in a united voice and spirit. The events of the past weeks and months reveal a very deeply divided country.
A vicious stabbing death on a train, bullets aimed at school children while they pray, the violent assassination of a brother in Christ in the public square.
These horrific scenes show a deeply divided nation, where brother is turned against brother. Sister against sister.
And as a people, we must wrestle with these truths that have become self-evident.
How have we come to this point?
How do our words and interactions contribute to such evil? Have we become a people who can no longer converse and debate in healthy ways that further our nation, our communities, our homes, and our relationships? Have we forgotten where our lives and relationships come from?
The Declaration of Independence might help us, it says,
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
“Endowed by their Creator.”
Isn’t that something, the founders of this nation led with the understanding that truth and our rights come from God our Father, as we confess in the Creed, the Creator of heaven and earth.
Sadly, it seems like we are no longer gathered and united under the fabric of the nation’s flag; we are no longer a nation, a society, or a people of God.
Which should raise the question, where are we going?
Who is leading us? Who is leading you? Your words? Your actions?
And this brings us to why the observance of Holy Cross Day is so important in this moment in history.
We as a people must remember that it is Christ Jesus who leads us through the valleys and darknesses of this troubled life. This is why the Church has long used processions into and out of the Divine Service each and every week.
As a guidon, this procession of the cross dates back to the Fourth Century. Its purpose is not so much to lead me, the pastor, in its shadows to the altar, but to focus us as a congregation and people on the horrors of Jesus’ crucifixion and death. To follow Him and be led by Him to where His forgiveness is now present for you in the Holy Supper of this altar.
This is why we stand and line the aisle of this church as those gathered that first Palm Sunday, with voices raised high in song, and humble hearts bowed low to our Lord and Savior. Confessing our sins with our words to Him and saying with all of Christendom, “Save us now.”
But then the cross also leads you out, past the font of Holy Baptism, where you became God’s child. It leads you into your daily lives, not only as a bulwark against this fallen world, but as a lamp upon your path.
A path that is guaranteed to have difficulties, trials, and darkness.
But, my friends, do not be afraid when these days come.
Don’t be afraid, because with the cross of Christ leading you, you already know and have the assurance that you have been drawn into the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
You already have His forgiveness and His eternal life.
This is true freedom.
A freedom to love your neighbor as yourself. A freedom to pray for those who persecute you. A freedom to demonstrate the same sacrificial love for one another as Christ Jesus showed, by dying on the cross for you.
So, look to the cross of Jesus, focus your eyes on Him, because He is your Savior and redeemer. +INJ+
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
