Episcopal Church of the
Incarnation
The Fifth Sunday in Lent (B)
Jeremiah
31.31-34 Psalm 51.1-13 Hebrews 5.5-10 John
12.20-33
Jeremiah
31.31-34
1)
This lesson comes from a section in Jeremiah
(30.1-31.40) in which the prophet gives an oracle of the restoration of
a)
Restoration is to follow “after those days” (v. 33), a
phrase used often by Jeremiah to indicate an eschatological break in the
history of
2) The use of the phrase “new covenant” in v. 31 is unique in all of the Old Testament.
a)
The prophet may focus on the mosaic covenant restated,
but in the New Testament this phrase is seized upon, in part because here in v.
33 the extension of the covenant to the “house of
i) Luke 22.20 and 1 Cor. 11.25 discuss this phrase, but of especial interest is the discussion found at Heb. 8.8-12, which includes this phrase in the longest quotation of the Old Testament in the New Testament.
3) God will write His laws on the people’s hearts. This is a Jeremian innovation in language (cf. 17.1), although it has a close parallel in Deuteronomy (6.6; 11.18; 30.14).
a) There will be no need for an intermediary like Moses. Priests and prophets will be useless, for the Lord will teach directly (v. 34).
Psalm
51.1-13
1) One of the penitential psalms; an individual lament.
a) It is thought by some that the psalm relates to the incident of David’s adultery with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11-12).
2) The psalm (in this excerpt) is structured as: lament (prayer for pardon and confession of sin)—plea for restoration.
a) The psalmist does not try to hide or shade his guilt!
b) He recognizes his sin to be evil.
c) The reference to “being a sinner from my mother’s womb” (v. 6) is poetic hyperbole for “sinful through-and-through”.
3) “Hide your face ...” (v. 10) is the only instance in the psalter where God “hiding His face” is depicted positively.
a) In general, God “hiding His face” is considered to be a sign of displeasure (e.g., Pss. 27.9; 69.18; 88.15).
Hebrews 5.5-10
1) Jesus is described as merciful high priest at 4.14-5.10).
a) The letter quotes v. 4 of Ps. 110, at v. 6. Although Ps. 110 is used frequently in the New testament to refer to Jesus, this is the only example of the use of v. 4, “... a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek”.
2) While the quotation from Ps. 110 demonstrates that Jesus is high priest because of a call from God, the letter goes on to demonstrate that He is qualified as high priest because He can sympathize with sinners (vv. 7-8).
a) And this is as high priest as the Son who is already exalted!
3) The author of Hebrews seems to have in mind Jesus’ prayers to the Father in Gethsemane and at John 12.27 when he refers to Jesus praying “in the days of his flesh” [to] “the one who was able to save him” (v. 7).
a) The point becomes that Jesus’ death was essential to His becoming high priest who now intercedes in heaven ( a theme developed at Hebrews 5.11-10.39).
John 12.20-33
1) Throughout this gospel Jesus has escaped death and/or declined to assert Himself in a miracle because “his hour was not yet come”. Now He says that His hour is come.
a) The hour is at hand, a theme developed at 12.20-36. Jesus tells His disciples that the hour is at hand.
b) Jesus accepts His destiny, and makes one last appeal to the crowd.
i) The people remain divided, unable to square Jesus’ claims with their own conceptions about the Messiah.
2) In v. 19 the Pharisees have just complained that “the world” has gone after Jesus. Now, in v. 20, “some Greeks” want to see Jesus. The intended irony is fulfilled.
a) “Greeks” = Gentiles.
3) Only Jesus’ death makes salvation available. Thus, the saying (probably proverbial) that a grain must fall into the earth and die (v. 24).
4) Jesus is to be “lifted up” (v. 27). In this third passion prediction, Jesus makes explicit what will happen, and makes this revelation central to His appeal for faith.
5) As the hour has come so has judgment (v. 31). In John, Jesus speaks of what is known in theology as “realized eschatology”.
a) Realized
eschatology speaks of judgment being present tense, and being lived out
now. Cf. John 3.18ff;
i) Jesus makes explicit reference to the “ruler of this world” (v. 31).
(1) Whereas “the world” had been described as the object of God’s love at 3.16, Jesus here uses “the world” to describe all that is unbelieving and hostile to God. Cf. 8.24; 15.18-19; 16.8-11).