MPC, 21st April 2000. Good FridayMark 15 - The Irony of Easter
Phil Campbell MPC, 21st April 2000. Good Friday
A dictionary defines the word irony as a situation or statement where the APPEARANCE OF THINGS differs from the reality. In other words, where there's a difference between the words you say - and the thing you mean. Or between the THINGS YOU SEE - and the REALITY BEHIND THEM. Where there's that little sense you get, sometimes with that little half smile, that there's more to this than meets the eye.. It's IRONIC when there's a MISMATCH going on. And what you see isn't quite what you get.
So, for example, it's kind of IRONIC that Barry Manilow sings a song called I WRITE THE SONGS. And he didn't write it. Ironic a couple of years back that the editor of a FITNESS magazine for joggers - died of a heart attack while he was jogging.
It's irony when what you see, what you say, what you hear - is the opposite to the reality underneath it.
And the bible passage we just read together is LOADED... with IRONY. I wonder if you saw it. Most particularly, we've got the irony of the King who isn't. And the irony of the saviour that didn't. If you didn't spot it, I want you to look again.
The King that isn't
First of all, the King that isn't. And if you look at Mark's account of the crucifixion of Jesus, there's this King idea just about everywhere. But it get's complicated. Because there's a DOUBLE IRONY going on.
Pilate, the Roman governor. He asks Jesus the question, verse 2. That sets the scene. A reality check. Here it is straight from Jesus. Pilate asks him straight out... "Are you the KING OF THE JEWS"? And Jesus looks him straight in the eye, and says "Yes, it's as you say." I'm the one the Jews have been waiting for. The KING.
And then silence. As the chief priests press him for answers; pile up their false allegations.
Verse 9; the first bit of irony. Pilate again. Tongue in cheek as he talks to the crowd. He doesn't see Jesus has done anything worth the death penalty. The whole thing's a joke. Jewish infighting. But can you see the irony as he gives the crowd the chance to set someone free. Barabbas the murderer. Or Jesus. The King. And so he says to the crowd in verse 9, "Do you want me to release to you THE KING OF THE JEWS?" And of course he doesn't MEAN IT. He's just saying it. Rich in IRONY. And stirring up the jealousy of the chief priests. But the chief priests stir up the crowd. And call for Barabbas to be released. And Jesus to be CRUCIFIED. Pick up verse 12. Pilate again. The crowd wants a CRIMINAL to go free. So Pilate says, What do you want me to do with THE KING OF THE JEWS. And they shout CRUCIFY HIM. And they should it AGAIN. And AGAIN. And AGAIN.
And so Governor Pilate hands him over to be crucified. Knowing he's innocent. Knowing without a shadow of a doubt Barabbas is guilty. But the guilty one goes free. As the INNOCENT ONE takes his place.
The Roman soldiers
But there's more irony. As the SOLDIERS take him away. Experts in IRONY - of the cruel, sarcastic variety. Mark tells us they take him to the PALACE - a place fit for a king - except it's to the section that's the army barracks. And they decide to have some fun. He's meant to be a King. So let's DRESS HIM LIKE A KING. And Mark says, the whole company of them; they dress him up in a purple robe, and they ram a crown made out of a prickle bush down onto his forehead. And verse 18, they start calling out to him, HAIL KING OF THE JEWS. And as they beat him with a stick, they pretend to bow down to him and pay homage. To this pathetic, bleeding KING.
See, they think they're being CLEVER. Everything they do, loaded with IRONY. But maybe in the end, the joke's on THEM. If he really IS... a King.
When they've had their fun, they take him out to the hill where they nail him up. And here's the last touch of irony - the King that isn't. They nail up a sign. That SAYS he's a KING. Verse 26. The written notice of the charge against him read, "The King of the Jews." Which again, to the people like the chief priests of the Jews was kicking sand in their faces.
But the double irony again... what a great joke... to stick a label on a bloke who's in agony going through the longest, slowest version of capital punishment ever invented... and say, hey, look at the KING.
The purple robe, the crown, the mock homage, the sign on the cross... and all the way through, the REAL IRONY... is that they're dealing with THE SON OF GOD. In person. And they've missed seeing it.
The saviour that didn't
There's more. And if you're following on the outline, you'll see the next irony is the SAVIOUR THAT DIDN'T.
Funny, every now and then you see someone heading for the death penalty on TV. And sometimes, if it's been a particularly violent, brutal sort of a crime, there'll be a TV camera focused on the crowd outside the prison. On a death watch. Placards. Hurling abuse. The difference is, in cases like that the prisoner heading for the gas chamber is totally unaware of it. Locked away in a distant building.
With Jesus, he's getting it all first hand. Not only dying innocent. But dying ABUSED. And in the abuse that's hurled at him, there's another irony. Because here's the one who called himself SAVIOUR. And it's pretty obvious to the casual observer that the SAVIOUR hanging on the cross needs a bit of SAVING. Absolutely helpless. And that the one who said something about destroy this temple and I'll build it again in three days, they didn't have a clue what he was talking about... but it's obvious... he's not in a position to DESTROY ANYTHING.
And so they hurl their insults at him. Verse 29. Those who passed by HURLED INSULTS at him, shaking their heads and saying, so, you who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, COME DOWN FROM THE CROSS AND SAVE YOURSELF.
You're meant to be a SAVIOUR. Do some saving. And they're enjoying it, aren't they - the clever little IRONY of the moment.
And the chief priests and the law teachers are mocking him as well. He saved others, verse 31, but HOW IRONIC... he CAN'T SAVE HIMSELF. Let this CHRIST, this KING OF ISRAEL COME DOWN FROM THE CROSS that we may see... and believe.
I mean, no wonder they think it's ironic. If you've read the rest of Marks gospel and seen Jesus in action, here's the one who HEALED PEOPLE with a TOUCH. Here's the one who FORGAVE SINS. Here's the one who CALMED STORMS. And RAISED THE DEAD. Hanging helpless by the nails in his arms. Useless.
What an irony. Except again, when you know what's REALLY happening, the irony turns completely around, doesn't it. Because here's a King who is actually DYING ON BEHALF OF HIS PEOPLE. Here's the PERFECT LIFE OF A PERFECT SAVIOUR... and you can kind of tell, can't you, as Mark tells us the story, that he's telling us for a reason. That the real irony is, they say, he saved others but he can't save himself... but it's exactly by STAYING THERE ON THE CROSS and NOT SAVING HIMSELF... that he's DOING WHAT HE CAME TO DO. And giving HIS LIFE... as a ransom for the rest of us. As he bears the weight of sin. And judgement. As God the Father turns away; and he cries out those words that Mark has recorded so literally - Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabacthani.... my God, my God... why have you forsaken me. As he quotes the words of Psalm 22. Words written so long ago. Words he's living out. In the agony of the cross.
And it's the greatest irony of all. That we saw reflected in a little way with that murderer Barabbas set free. While Jesus took his penalty. That's a tiny picture of the bigger reality. And the ultimate irony. That the perfectly innocent SON OF GOD... becomes a GOD FORSAKEN SINNER. So sinners like YOU AND ME... can be FORGIVEN. And set free.
Which is why even the name we give to today is full of irony, isn't it. GOOD FRIDAY. When we celebrate the worst injustice in the history of humanity. And call it a GOOD DAY.
Let me tell you today, it's only good Friday when you recognise Jesus as the KING THAT IS. And the saviour that DID. The King who stayed and died.
And that the way to be right in God's eyes, it's not to try to be good. It's not to know the right rules, like not eating fish on good Friday. It's not even to be a church going Presbyterian. The GOOD NEWS is, the way to be right in God's eyes is to bow down to Jesus as King like those soldiers did - but without the mockery. To put yourself at the foot of the cross like those rulers did - but without the irony. And say, he's saving US... because he WOULDN'T SAVE HIMSELF. He's dying there... for me. And it you do that for the first time this morning... then this good Friday is a VERY good Friday for you.