Introduction

One of the opportunities I have as the interim pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Beatrice, Neb., is to prepare a short column for a feature called “The Pastor’s Pen,” appearing in the Beatrice Daily Sun on Thursday, April 1, 2010.

Scripture

“… unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” (John 12:24)

Meditation

When Jesus shared these words with his followers, he knew he faced the final days of his journey on earth. The cross with its promise of suffering and death stood before him. The love and trust he bore for his Father in the power of their Spirit sustained him. He was the grain of wheat that prepared to fall to the ground and die. By his death and resurrection, his Father would produce much fruit.

All people whom God has made his children and gathered into his Church are the fruit of the harvest that grows from the seed that Jesus planted on that Good Friday so long ago. This is the Good News that Christians gather to hear and to meditate upon during Holy Week. It began this past Sunday by recalling Christ’s triumphal and palm-strewn entry into Jerusalem and by looking ahead to his Passion and death. Then today, Maundy Thursday, the Church celebrates Jesus’ gifts: the great commandment to love one another as he has loved us; and the holy Meal of his body and blood.

Tomorrow on Good Friday the Church gathers again in subdued reverence to contemplate the mystery of the cross and Christ’s redemption of the world through his holy cross. Saturday evening brings a time of waiting with expectation and anticipation as the Church comes together to keep a vigil for the coming of Easter. Christians hear the great stories of the faith and embrace the history of God’s mighty acts to create, sustain, and redeem his people. And then, whether in the night or at sunrise, Christians will burst into sounds of joy and gladness as they raise their voices, shouting, “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!”

Easter is the central celebration of the Christian faith. The Church throughout the world and across the pages of history has looked to this day as God’s triumph of the new creation over chaos, of grace over sin, of life over death. It is the day whose dawn holds out a promise. Because Christ has been raised from the dead, his Father will harvest the fruit that springs from the seed of his death on the cross.

There are times when we may not feel triumphant or victorious, when the burdens of life grind us down and bend us over double with their load. When you feel this way, remember our Father’s promise to share the life of the resurrection with you, to bless you with faith in his promises, and to raise you up for a harvest growing from his Son, the seed planted in the fertile ground of the holy cross and the empty tomb.