Good Friday Communion Message

Our Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had to recently apologise when he lost his temper with a steward serving food on his plane. As part of his defence, he said “I’m only human”. That was part of his excuse for his bad behaviour. I’m sure most of us have used that one, when we’ve made a mistake … “I’m only human”. That puts Kevin Rudd in very good company, does it not!!

Being human is a fragile experience. We were created “very good” by our loving God, but we have made choices that have complicated things. We have also been born into a very complicated set of circumstances, where for generations, for thousands of years in this world – humanity has struggled with their responsibilities.

The prophet Isaiah, some 2700 years ago, understood this struggle. In the midst of all the violence and injustice he lived amongst, Isaiah wrote: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way …” (53:6a). Maybe the modern translation is “We’re only human”!

The question is though, do we just stay with the excuse, do we just stay with the problems involved with being human, or do we really take on board what God has done about this? God did not sit idly by, when human beings decided to go their own way, leaving us lost.

Having sent prophet after prophet to set the nation of Israel straight, and seeing them largely ignored; when the fullness of time had come, God sent his very son Jesus to save his people from their sins. We have read the words from Isaiah chapter 53: whatever it is that separates us from God, Jesus came and died and rose again so that it could be dealt with.

We can now rise above the limitations that sin imposed upon being human, and live in harmony with God and all his creation. Whereas we’ll never be perfect, or probably anywhere near close, we can be on a journey of transformation being re-modelled in the image of Jesus. (Many of us will need some significant ‘panel-beating’, but the Holy Spirit of God is up to the task!) We will have an increasing sense of when we fall short and have God’s promise of forgiveness close at hand.

This was a costly sacrifice for God … Jesus paid the ultimate price to give us free access to such change: “…he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed” (Is 53:5). The bread (or biscuit) before us represents the broken body of Jesus on the cross. The cup represents God’s new covenant of love towards humanity proved through spilled blood. The sending of Jesus was a one-time gift for all people of all nations of all times. And this was a gift of grace for you and for me. And so let us take the bread and lift the cup, acknowledging these things:
· When my humanity was too limited to handle on my own, Jesus saved me
· When I was directionless and struggling, Jesus gave his life so that I might be transformed into a growing, purposeful steward of God’s creation
. When I was left to my own devices, Jesus gave me the gift of a new home with him, in the company of all those who follow Jesus in this life.