Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Passion Sunday, behold our Lord on the cross. One last time, He is given a chance to be something He is not, to do things the world's way, to prove the devil and everyone else wrong who said He couldn't save them or come down from the cross. But here, on Calvary, on the cross, a mocking thief on each side and enemies who taunt and jeer at Him—there on that cross, you will see everything you need to know about God. Whatever preachers have to say, whatever religions think they know, whatever "spirituality" says about a higher power—all of that is wiped away. Here, on the cross, you can see and learn everything you need to know about the Lord. He did not come to do things the way we do them. He did not come to accomplish things the way we accomplish them. He did not come to fit our notions of what a Savior should be. He was not born into this world in order to be what we wanted Him to be. No, everything about God we need to know is revealed right there, on that cross, as the Son of God hangs there dying for sinners.
It's all there in the sign above His head: "This is Jesus the King of the Jews." Learn that well, brothers and sisters in Christ. That sign tells us first of all that this is Jesus. It was St. Matthew who told us of the angel who appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to name the baby "Jesus." In Hebrew it's "Joshua." The Name Joshua, or Jesus, means "the Lord saves." There it is. Plain and simple. For those who desire to see, to learn, to know, His name says it all. He is the Lord who saves His people. How does He save them? Well, where's the sign? At the top of the cross. The Lord saves His people by dying for them. By taking their place. By being punished by the Father for the sins He didn't do but that He took upon Himself. On the cross, Jesus makes right with the Father all that you and I have ruined in our sin. On the cross, Jesus brings us back who were far far away in sin and death. On the cross, Jesus is mocked and ridiculed so that the Father would never have anything to say about you but good things. On the cross, Jesus is even forsaken by His own heavenly Father so that you will never be abandoned by God. Whatever you have earned and deserved and piled up by your sins against God and your neighbor—ALL of it is carried by Jesus there. And while the world tells Him to jump down and show how great He really is, we learn something else about the Lord: He did not come to shoe how great He is, how much power He has, what great and mighty tricks He can do to wow us. No, He comes to suffer and bleed and die. If you ever, dear Christian, for even a moment, doubt how bad your sins are, look at the Son of God on the cross and you'll see. And, dear Christian, if you ever doubt, even for a moment, that all of your sins have been forgiven, then look at the Son of God on the cross and you'll see that this sacrifice takes them all away.
The sign above Jesus' head: "This is Jesus the King of the Jews." He is Jesus, the Lord who hangs on the cross to save His people. And therefore He is the King of the Jews. But it is God's own people who have put Him there! They didn't ask for Him to come and die for them. They wanted Him to tell them what a great job they were doing. They didn't ask for Jesus to come and tell them to stop trusting in themselves and believe in Him. They wanted Him to come and tell them what great faith they had and how proud the Father is of their holiness and piety. Brothers and sisters in Christ, there hangs Jesus, the King of the Jews, the King of those who don't want Him! That's our repentance. Don't you see? Do you get it? Those who most hated Christ were those who were supposedly God's own people! If that's the case, then we are warned! Watch out for yourself! You, who bear the name Christian, watch out that you do not be as those people of God then: despising Christ and His Word. Thinking that God should operate on your terms. Wanting some other Jesus than the one who was crucified and raised for your salvation! Repent, Christian, of wanting any other kind of God than the one who hangs in the flesh on the cross in your place, for your sins.
Dear Christians, when our Lord hung on the cross, He hung in the shame of our sins. The cross was a place to go and make fun of criminals. Nailing people to crosses in full public view was a chance for the people to see what would happen for their crimes but it was also a part of the punishment as those who were crucified could be mocked by the good and upstanding citizens. Well, the enemies of Jesus came to the cross to mock Him. But now Jesus is here, in His church, not for you to mock or despise, but to run to and receive His gifts. He is here at the font, when your sins are washed away. He speaks through your pastor to preach the Gospel and forgive your sins. He comes to you in His Supper and feeds you with His own body and blood. At the cross, the enemies of Jesus mocked Him: "If you're the Son of God, then come down from the cross!" One last time for Jesus the Devil got his digs in, trying to persuade Jesus to be something other than our Savior. But now where Jesus comes, it is not His enemies who speak but He Himself to say, "I baptize you...I forgive you all your sins...take eat and drink, My body and blood given and shed for you." Now when you come to Christ, he speaks to you, His promises, His gifts, His forgiveness. All that He accomplished for you on the cross is given out here. Receive it with joy. And if you ever doubt, even for a moment, that you are a Christian, that God is your Father or that your sins are forgiven, then behold this font. Hear the words of forgiveness. Eat and drink Jesus' body and blood. And the Spirit will remind you yet again that all that Jesus suffered, He suffered for you. All your sins are taken away.
If you ever want to know about God, learn about God; if you ever hear things about God and you need to know whether they're true or not; look no further than the cross to know all that you need to about the Lord. The sign hanging above Jesus says it all: "This is Jesus the King of the Jews." This is the Son of God in the flesh whose name is "The Lord saves." He saves you. Therefore behold this Jesus, the King of the Jews and your King and Savior. Amen.