Isaiah 52:13-15, Isaiah 53:1-12
Ps 31:2,6,12-13,15-17,25
Hebrews 4:14-16, Hebrews 5:7-9
John 18-19

—I told you that I AM.
So if you are looking for me, let these men go.—

Lord for us your wounds were suffered.
Oh Christ Jesus, have mercy on us

Words we’d like to hear

I am going to suppose that in a pinch, in a tight or dangerous spot, those are words we would love to hear. —Let these men go.—

We like escape

Part of our natural human reaction is self-preservation. The dark side of our broken humanity is a tendency to avoid what is difficult. Calls to witness might go against our natural self-preservation. Given a choice we prefer to hear: —Let these men go.—

The disciples were relieved

Now, I also imagine that the disciples were relieved. They got to escape. They ran away from the soldiers, swords, clubs, and the very same dangers brought home to the high priest’s servant when he had his ear cut off. The dogs were at their heels and they had to run full speed to get out of sight. They were thankful that the power of God, standing in that garden, gave them the chance when Jesus said: —Let these men go.—

Where is our example?

When I was in seminary we conducted an interesting experiment. We had to identify with a disciple. Were we Peter or John? That’s something to think about today. Which character in the Passion do you identify with? Did you argue at the Last Supper? Did you fall asleep in the garden? Did you pick up the sword and strike the high priest’s servant, trying to protect Jesus? Did you follow along like Peter, and stand in the courtyard of the high priest? Did you run? Did you deny Him? Did you betray Him? Did you slap and mock Him? Were you a false witness or did you stand silent? Were you in the crowd, jeering at Him? Did you wipe His face with a towel? Did you bewail Him on the road to crucifixion? Did you stand under the cross and witness to Him? Were you the good or bad thief? Did you take Him down from the cross and bury Him? Did you prepare spices for His entombment? Would you have appreciated hearing: —Let these men go?—

We find affinity but we need to look elsewhere

At any point in our lives we might find affinity with one or more of these characters. That is who we are as we follow the path to heaven. We fall because of that kind of affinity and God raises us back up. We are heroes at times but many times prefer to hear: —Let these men go.— We need to change our affinity.

Our affinity is in Jesus Christ

The real question, the real issue we need to reflect on this evening is: are we Jesus? Are we Jesus who did not run, who did the Father’s will. Do we have the courage of Jesus, to be fully human and humane?

Whomever we might find affinity with, that connection is solely a connection in our broken humanity. We must judge that broken connection as something to be overcome, replacing it with our affinity with Jesus. We must make Jesus our only example and our model. Jesus’ perfect humanity is not a symbol or something esoteric. It is a call to reality, to being who He is.

Let us ask that Jesus not say for us: —Let these men go,— but rather —Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.— We will get there by living our lives courageously, modeled on the one who died so that we might have life —“- eternal life. Amen.