Maundy Thursday, April 2, 2015 "I AM"

Learning anything foreign to us, discerning what is “other,” we discover the most important word is the Verb: “To Be.” Tonight, as we read and share the Scriptures, we listen for the that word, “I AM” paying attention to the differing contexts and meanings and what “I AM” says about God, and about us. CALL TO ILLUMINATION EXODUS 3:1-14 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his Father-in-law, Jethro, Priest of Midian; and he led his flock to the westside of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and lo, the bush was burning, yet was not consumed. And Moses said, “I AM turning aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.” When the Lord saw that Moses turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And Moses said, “Here, I AM.” Then the voice said, “Do not come near; put your shoes off from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” The voice said, “I AM God of your father, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then said the Lord, “I AM seeing the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, I AM hearing their cry because of their taskmasters: I AM knowing their sufferings, I AM coming down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, I AM coming to bring them up out of that land to a good broad land, flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebuzites. And now behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I AM seeing the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I AM sending you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth my people, the sons and daughters of Israel out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who AM I that I should go to Pharaoh, to bring Israel out of Egypt?” The Voice said, “But I AM with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I AM sending you: When you have brought forth Israel out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this mountain.” Then said Moses to God: “If I AM to come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' and they ask me 'What is his name?' what AM I to say to them?” God said to Moses: “I AM WHO I AM” And God said, “Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'” INVITATION TO PRAYER JOHN 13: 1-13 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Ischariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, that he had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel. Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I AM doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I AM not washing you, you have no part in me.” Peter said to him, “Not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said, “He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For Jesus knew who was to betray him. When he had washed their feet, and taken his garments and resumed his place, Jesus said to them, “Do you know what I AM to you? You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I AM. If I AM then your Lord and Teacher, who has washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.” SCRIPTURE TEXT John 18:1 – 19:22 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples across the Kidron Valley, to where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas, procuring a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns, torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that was to befall him, came forward and said to them, “whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I AM.” Judas who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said “I AM” they drew back and fell to the ground. Again Jesus asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I told you, I AM, so if you seek me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill the word which he had spoken, “Of those whom Thou gavest me, I lost not one.” Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave, cutting off his right ear. The slave's name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword in its sheath; shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given?” So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews seized Jesus and bound him. First they led him to Annas; for he was the Father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year. It was Caiaphas that had given counsel, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. As this disciple was known to the High Priest, he entered the court of the High Priest along with Jesus, while Peter stood outside the door. SO the other disciple, who was known to the High Priest, went out and spoke to the maid who kept the door, and brought Peter in. The maid who kept the door said to Peter, “Are not you also one of this man's disciples?” Peter said, “I AM NOT.” Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves; Peter also was with them, standing warming himself. The High Priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered him, “I AM speaking openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the Temple, where all Jews come together; I AM saying nothing secretly. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me, what I said to them; they know what I AM saying.” When he had said this, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand saying, “Is that how you answer the High Priest?” Jesus said, “If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high Priest. As Simon Peter was standing warming himself, they said to him, “Are not you also one of his disciples?” Peter denied it and said, “I AM NOT.” One of the servants of the High Priest, a kinsman of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Peter again denied it, “I AM NOT” and at once the cock crowed. Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the Praetorium. It was still dark. They did not enter the Praetorium, so that they might not be defiled, but might eat of the Passover. So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered him, “If this man were not an evildoer, we would not have handed him over.” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your Law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.” This was to fulfill the word which Jesus had spoken to show by what death he was to die. Pilate entered the Praetorium again and called Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it about me?” Pilate answered, “AM I a Jew? Your own nation and Chief Priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My Kingship is not of this world; if my Kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I AM not to be handed over to the Jews; but my Kingship is not from the world.” Pilate said to him, “So you are a King?” Jesus answered, “You say that I AM a King. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.” Pilate said to Jesus, “What is truth?” After he had said this he went out to the Jews again, and told them, “I find no crime in him. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at Passover; will you have me release for you The King of the Jews?” They cried out, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a thief, rapist, murderer and rioter. Then Pilate Jesus and had him scourged. And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple robe; they came up to him saying “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again and said to them, “See I am bringing him out to you, that you may know that I find no crime in him.” So Jesus was brought out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” When the Chief Priests and Officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him.” They answered him, “We have a Law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has made himself the Son of God.” When Pilate heard these words, he was all the more afraid; he entered the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. Pilate therefore said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore, he who delivered me to you has the greater sin.” Upon this Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man you are not Caesar's friend; every one who makes himself a king sets himself against Caesar.” When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, in Hebrew “Gabbatha.” Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The Chief Priests answered, “We have no King but Caesar!” Then Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is “Golgotha.” There they crucified him, and with two others, one at either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. The Chief Priests of the Jews then said to Pilate, “Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but 'This man Said I AM King of the Jews.'” Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written.” PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD At the turn of the 19th - 20th Century, with World Wars looming between ancient Monarchies, Dictatorships, and rising Powers, Industrialization expanding, and the cloud of International Economic Depression about to burst, The London Times sent invitation to the greatest writers and world leaders of the time, asking “What Is The Greatest Threat to The World?” G.K. Chesterton was a well known author, having published over 4,000 articles and 100 books, edited his own weekly paper, while writing a column for 30 years in the London News, and a different column for 13 years in the Daily News. Chesterton is the author of The Father Brown Mysteries. Chesterton was identified by C.S. Lewis as the inspiration for Lewis turning from being an Atheist to becoming Christian. Chesterton was identified by Mohandas Gandhi as the force behind the revolution against British rule of India. He was the debater of his age, having written the definitive biography of St. Thomas Acquinas, being the frienemy of George Bernard Shaw, challenging ideas of Consumerism, Capitalism, Progressivism, Conservativism and Monopolies. Chesterton responded, “What is the Greatest Threat to the World? I AM.”