As I said in the beginning of today’s service, during the last couple of Sundays, we have listened to some philosophical readings about how Jesus remains with us despite his death and resurrection.
Something that prepared us for Ascension Day which was celebrated last Thursday, and something that points toward Trinity and Pentecost which we will be celebrating next Sunday.
The readings are not at all easy: “You, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us”, “The glory that you have given me I have given them”, “I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am”, “I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
You, me, I, them, those, us… I do not know about you. But I get a little confused.
As I mentioned last Sunday, the readings we have listened to the last couple of Sundays come from a certain speech mentioned in the Gospel of John – a speech in which Jesus talks about how he is about to sacrifice himself – something that has been determined before time.
But despite his death – and his resurrection for that matter – Christians should never fear to be left alone. Jesus will be followed by the Holy Spirit. A persona through which God will always remain with all who believes.
Two theological points are important to derive from these readings:
First, in the Gospel of John, Jesus is more God than man in comparison with the other Gospels. For instance, the well-known story of Jesus taken captive in the garden of Gethsemane is left out in the Gospel of John. And on the cross, according to the Gospel of John, Jesus does not say “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” Instead, he says; “it is completed.”
Also, the story of communion is left out. To the evangelist John, something seems to be more important to state.
In the other Gospels, communion is instituted – as we say every time we celebrate communion – in remembrance. In Danish, the word “ihukommelse” is used. It is a good word because it not only implies a remembrance of Jesus, but a spiritual presence of Jesus as well.
By not mentioning communion, this spiritual presence of Jesus is different in the Gospel of John in comparison with the three other Gospels. But the spiritual presence is not at all left out. Instead, the Gospel of John simply just wants to emphasize the coming of the Holy Spirit and the divinity of Jesus.
And this fact leads us to the second theological point, which is important to derive from the readings we have listened to the last couple of Sundays: Trinity.
The idea of Trinity mainly derives from the Gospel of John. It tells us about how God is not solely revealing himself through Jesus, but through the Father and the Spirit as well.
Earlier, I used the word “persona” about the different way God, according to Trinity, reveals himself to us. I am not sure whether this is the perfect word to use. My favorite explanation of the Trintiy comes from the Irish saint, Saint Patrick.
He compared Trinity to the shamrock – a three leafed clover. Each leaf is its own, but still a part of a whole. One God, yet both Father, Son, and Spirit.
Depicting Jesus in the way that the Gospel of John does has a lot of theological points and advantages. It does not dismantle the theological points of the other Gospels, but it adds to them. At least I would say so.
One can of course wonder why we even have four Gospels. Should one not be sufficient?
I prefer having more than one. Why so? Well first, we differ as individuals, and because of that something that speaks to our nature might not speak to the nature of other people.
Second, we do not share the same cultural heritage. The Gospel’s were written by different congregations throughout the Mediterranean, and they were even written almost 50 years apart. And 50 years, truly that is some time. Just think about how much has happened in today’s world since the 70’s.
Third, before every Sunday a new sermon is written – in every country, in every city, in every church. The Gospel of old is proclaimed anew every Sunday making sure that it talks directly to the Christians who gather.
Truly, I see no issue with this, I like having four Gospels to go to. I acknowledge that being Christian is not the same to all of us. Not because of our God being different, but because we as humans and our faiths are different.
To me, the lack of the story of communion in the Gospel of John is one of the best examples of how we as Christians are not alike even though we confess to the same faith.
Other good examples are how Christian Christmas traditions differ from country to country. Just look at Denmark. It would be an insane thought for a Dane to start celebrating Christmas on the 25th even though it is the day most other Christians celebrate Christmas.
Beside how our individual way of being Christian differ, beside how our cultural heritage makes our way of being Christian differs, time also makes us evaluate on these things, and with such an evaluation, new ways of understanding – not only faith – but the world as well is developed.
As an example of this, just think of the re-makes of all the Disney movies. You might not have seen any of them. That is not the point either though. The point is that what made a princess “a princess” fifty years ago, is not necessarily in line with today’s depicting of a princess. And hence, the re-makes must change the original depicting. Otherwise, the re-makes would be irrelevant.
Likewise, you would not have heard a sermon relating the gospel to the Pixar movie “Toy Story” 50 years ago as you did last Sunday. Not only was the movie not made, but it is possible, would also be found to be improper. Some of you though, have been told that it was one of my better sermons.
And with this said I would like to end my sermon with quoting the great Bob Dylan song ‘The times they are changin’. I guess this song sums up what I have been trying to say in my sermon today. Also, it quotes the Bible. And then it simply is a great song:
“Come gather ’round people wherever you roam, and admit that the waters around you have grown. And accept it that soon you’ll be drenched to the bone, if your time to you is worth savin’. And you better start swimmin’, or you’ll sink like a stone, for the times they are a-changin’…
The line it is drawn. The curse it is cast. The slow one now will later be fast. As the present now will later be past, the order is rapidly fadin’. And the first one now will later be last, for the times they are a-changin’.”
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
