Weekly Bible Notes

Fifth Sunday of Lent - Year B

First Sunday of the Passion

Liturgical Colour - Purple

Opening Verse
Collect Prayer
First Reading:
Second Reading:
Gospel Reading
Post Communion Sentence
Commentary:
Meditation:
Hymns
Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead:
Intercessions from our Sunday worship
Sermon

Introduction

There is something about writing things down which makes them more important. When something is committed to writing it takes on a deeper significance. There is no going back and pretending or imagining that we never said something, there is proof. We take the written word more seriously, perhaps too seriously given what we read in our newspapers! However that is why it is important that the new law which Jeremiah spoke about was something which would be written down. It was a serious law, every bit as much as the one written by God and given to Moses. Yet this new law would be even more serious, it would be written on our hearts

Opening Verses of Scripture  Psalm 51:10

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Collect Prayer for the Day — Before we read we pray

Most merciful God, who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ delivered and saved the world: grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross we may triumph in the power of his victory; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen  Common Worship

Gracious Father, you gave up your Son out of love for the world: lead us to ponder the mysteries of his passion, that we may know eternal peace through the shedding of our Saviour's blood, Jesus Christ our Lord.  

Almighty God, your Son came into the world to free us all from sin and death. Breathe upon us with the power of your Spirit, that we may be raised to new life in Christ, and serve you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.
 

First Bible Reading  Jeremiah 31:31-34

"The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, " declares the LORD. 
"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbour, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

(This is the word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God)

Second Reading  Hebrews 5:5-10

So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father." And he says in another place, "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

(This is the word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God)

Gospel Reading  John 12:20-33 

Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. 
Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honour the one who serves me. 
"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. 
Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

(This is the Word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God.)

Post Communion Sentence

Lord Jesus Christ, you have taught us that what we do for the least of our brothers and sisters we do also for you: give us the will to be the servant of others as you were the servant of all, and gave up your life and died for us, but are alive and reign, now and for ever. Amen
 

Commentary

You could argue that the Bible is one long battle between the arrogance of humans and the desire of God to draw close to us. Looked at from the point of view, the whole emphasis on Covenant becomes clearer. What is the Covenant except an agreement for Man to recognise that in he needs God, and God reminding Man that He will always be with humanity? In Jesus the Hebrew Bible Covenant is renewed and remade but the promise remains the same. God will be faithful to mankind but we must live according to the standards laid out for us in the Bible and especially in the example of Jesus.

The trouble is that we humans are foolish, prone to think we know better than God and that we can live without Him. We are selfish, and prefer to love ourselves better than our neighbour. And so we need all the time need to remind ourselves, and be reminded, that we need God. We also need the help and support of other Christians. It is very hard to live a Gospel-based life without support, inspiration and the corrective influence of other Christians.
 

This dialogue between human pride and God’s purpose is a theme which runs through much of the Bible and is detectable in all the three readings this morning. Through the inspiration of the prophet Jeremiah, God speaks of his desire to renew the Covenant. The writer says that God has bound himself to his people as a husband is bound to his wife, contracted and faithful. But God wants his Law to be parts of the hearts and minds of the people, knit into the fabric of their very bodies. The relationship with God is not to be abstract “out there” but part of the fabric of our bodies and permeating through every aspect of our lives.
 

The reading from Hebrews is a short extract from a long and complicated discussion on the nature of Jesus’ ministry. In particular the concept of Jesus as a High Priest is considered. What is the nature of that priesthood? How does Jesus surpass all other priests and prophets ?. Our short scripture passage stresses Jesus’ perfect obedience to God’s will. Although Jesus had the privileges of a son, he did not exploit his advantage but always chose the way of self-sacrifice and submission to Divine Will.
 

In the quite long passage from John’s Gospel there can be found again the theme of obedience to God’s will, Jesus willingness to submit to it. Almost casually there is slipped in mention of an extraordinary religious experience, witnessed by a crowd of people including the disciples. A voice from Heaven answered Jesus’ prayer ”Father Glorify your name” The voice replied “I have glorified it and will glorify it again”. The act which would proclaim God’s power and glory would be through Jesus’’ giving of himself. The disciples were confused, the crowd were disappointed at the idea that Jesus the Christ would die. It is all very simple, Jesus would draw men to God through his death and resurrection. He would be that seed that would apparently die to produce many more seeds. But Jesus had to give himself in an unimaginably brave way for that greater good to be achieved. He is a model for obedience. Joan Crossley
 

Meditation

In the All age Worship today, I shall be using as an illustration the classic French folk tale of Beauty and the Beast. The wonderful Disney film of 1991 is much loved by the younger members of the church and so is useful for putting across a key theological theme. In the brief address this morning I shall talk about the film and how The Beast and the heroine Belle, “Beauty”, need each other to help them to learn how to be better. Beast is cross and difficult but has a caring, protective nature which Belle brings out. Belle is impulsive and inclined to be demanding. By having to get along, they both improve as a people and overcome their faults. This is a helpful way of seeing the Christian community: as a place where we can grow spiritually and develop as people. By worshipping alongside other Christians, working with other Christians for the glory of God, we are modified and, hopefully, become better. It isn’t always easy to go through the process of growth, but it is a priceless aid in spiritual development. Joan Crossley
 

Hymns

Holy Holy holy Lord God almighty 237
I’ll go in the strength of the Lord (on service sheet)  (Tune In the strength)
Like a mighty river flowing 419
All my hope on God is founded 16 (Tune Michael (Howells)
To God be the glory 708
 

Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead

Prayer is a plant, the seed of which is sown in the heart of every Christian,

if it is well cultivated and nourished it will produce fruit, but if it is neglected, it will wither and die

O Lord our God whose might is without compare and whose glory surpasses understanding, whose mercy is without measure and love of men beyond telling; look on us, Master, according to your tenderness of heart, on us and all we love; and deal with us, and all for whom we pray, in the riches if your mercy and compassion. Amen (Adapted from The Liturgy of St John Chrystostom)

We are the mediocre, we are the half-givers, we are the half-lovers, we are the savourless salt. Lord Jesus Christ, restore us now to the primal splendour of first love. To the austere light of the breaking day. Let us hunger and thirst, let us burn in the flame. Break the hard crust of complacency. Quicken in us the sharp grace of desire. Caryll Houselander

Lord Jesus Christ, who showed on this earth Your love for children: guide we pray, with Your Spirit, those who are called to the ministry of teaching: that nothing may hinder or children from growing in faith and love. Amen

It is undoubtedly true that if we could see and know ourselves as we are, we would be truly humble.
(Adapted from the Cloud of Unknowing) Lord help me to see who I am, and to understand who you might enable me to become. Amen.

 

Additional Material

Commentary

Covenants
With war going on in Iraq, it is strange to think that the reading from Jeremiah this morning was spoken to a group of people who were held prisoner near Baghdad. The passage from Jeremiah is about a new covenant. Covenant is the Bible’s word for an ‘agreement.’ When we make an agreement today, we might shake hands, sign a legal document, or if we are feeling romantic, perhaps give a ring or ‘seal it with a kiss.’ 

In the Bible we read about some very serious covenants and actions which followed. 
 

There was the covenant with Noah following the flood, when God promised humanity that he would always be faithful. The rainbow was the sign of that agreement. 
The covenant with Abraham was made after Abraham showed great faith in God, and God declared that he would make Abraham’s descendants a great nation. The sign of that covenant was circumcision. 
Then there was a covenant with Moses, when God delivered the people out of captivity from Egypt. The covenant was sealed at Sinai with the giving of the written law, the Israelites promised to be obedient and to have no other Gods but Yahweh. 
 

The problem was that the Israelites continually failed to keep their part of the bargain in these covenants. The prophets, like Jeremiah, realized that human sinfulness made them weak partners in the deal. So through the prophets, God spoke of a new kind of covenant, not written on tablets of stone like the commandments, but on the hearts of the people. This ‘new covenant’ was not to be just for the Jews but for all the people. Jeremiah spoke about this new covenant. 

Jeremiah was born in Anathoth, 3 miles north of Jerusalem and began preaching about 627BC. Jeremiah witnessed the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 BC. Jerusalem was captured and destroyed and the people were taken away into exile in Babylon. Babylon was the centre of the Babylonian empire, a place on the river Euphrates about 60 miles south of Baghdad. Jeremiah believed that God was loyal to those who were loyal to him, but God had been hurt by the way the Jews had been unfaithful. Jeremiah saw the invasion by the Babylonians as the punishment of God. But, he also believed that God would bring a new future of hope, if the people only trusted and believed. 
Chapters 30-33 are sometimes called ‘The Book of Consolation’ and the passage today from Chapter 31 is one of the most well known in the whole book. Jeremiah wrote about a ‘new covenant.’ He wrote,

‘The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel.’ 
 

Five centuries after Jeremiah, the death of Jesus was the fulfillment of the covenant promised by Jeremiah, and Jesus announced that his own blood was the seal of that new covenant. At the exact time when the lambs were being slaughtered for the Passover, Jesus saw himself as the new lamb of God and started the new covenant with his blood. And, from that day on, billions of Christians have celebrated Holy Communion with the words,

‘This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.’ 
 

So in the midst of captivity and hopelessness, Jeremiah wrote of God’s forgiveness and willingness to enter into a new covenant with the Hebrew people. He wrote that God would forget the old covenant that they had broken so often and remember their sin no more. This was not blind optimism, he knew that God did not want to punish people, but rather to change their hearts. 
 

Jeremiah knew that God would forgive the people and forget their violations of the old covenant. Jeremiah knew that God loves humankind so much that he would try again and again to show his love. Jeremiah did not know exactly when or how God would enact a new covenant, he simply knew with absolute certainty that God would bring them new hope. 

The new covenant established by Jesus is the ultimate and final covenant between God and human beings. On God’s side of the contract, he promises to love us, forgive us, and guarantee us the hope of eternal life. On our side of the covenant, we are expected to put our faith and trust in Jesus. We are called to affirm our faith that Jesus is the Son of God and that his life and teaching and death and resurrection provides ultimate meaning for our lives and salvation for our souls. Charles Royden
 

Prayers

Soul of Christ, sanctify us; Body of Christ, save us; Blood of Christ, refresh us; Water from the side of Christ, wash us; Passion of Christ, strengthen us; O good Jesus hear us; Within your arms, hide us; From the power of darkness defend us. Bid us come to you that with your saints we may praise you. Amen   From the Anima Christi c 1300

Almighty God, your Son came into the world to free us from all sin and death. Breathe upon us with the power of your Spirit, that we may be raised to new life in Christ, and serve you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Methodist Worship

O Christ give us patience and faith, and hope as we kneel at the foot of thy cross, that however ill the world may go, the father so loved us that he spared not thee. Charles Kingsley
 

Hymns