Main Themes and Common Denominators

• The Central Message: Regardless of the specific service, the core message to convey is “the love that never lets you go.”
• The Two Big Questions: The Christian narrative answers two fundamental questions:
  • Is God all-loving? Answered on Good Friday.
  • Is God all-powerful? Answered on Easter Sunday.

Maundy Thursday

• Two Focal Points: Preachers have a choice between focusing on the Foot Washing or the Last Supper (Eucharist) .
• Foot Washing:
  • Avoid the cliché of “servant ministry.” Instead, frame it as a transgressive act of intimacy (feet were considered very private in that culture) and as a preparation for death.
  • A powerful motif is Jesus taking off his “robe of majesty” to put on the “towel of humanity,” enacting the humility of Philippians 2 before returning to glory.
• Last Supper (Eucharist):
  • Tie it to the Passover lamb (theological depth often missed) and the context of Jerusalem during the slaughter of the lambs.
  • Frame the institution of the Eucharist as the birth of the Church: Jesus’ solution for keeping his followers together was to command them to “eat together,” which forces reconciliation and community.

Good Friday

• The Challenge: Preachers must not “duck out” by focusing only on the physical relics (nails, thorns, vinegar). They must tackle the cosmic and theological “big questions” : Why did this happen? What actually happened? What difference does it make?
• The Structure: It is essential to hold together the epic (the cosmic, big-picture theology) and the lyric (the intimate betrayal, the grief of the disciples).
• For All-Age Contexts: Focus on the other characters in the narrative (Peter, Judas, Mary, the soldiers, Pilate) rather than solely on the gruesome details of the crucifixion.
• Hymns: Unlike Christmas carols, Good Friday hymns are heavily theological (e.g., “He died that we might be forgiven”). Preachers can use these hymns to unpack theological interpretations, even if they have questions about them.

Easter Sunday

• Preparation: It is a crucial discipline to write the Easter sermon before Holy Week begins. This allows the preacher to be fully present and engaged in the events of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday without anxiety.
• Two Types of Easter Sermons:
  • The Character-Focused: Focusing on Mary in the garden (John 20). This highlights echoes of the Good Shepherd, the significance of the garden (Paradise), and the turn from despair to hope. While valid, this approach often misses the deeper theological implications.
  • The Theologically Robust (Preferred): This addresses the “dot dot dots” between “Jesus rose” and “we live forever.”
• Avoiding “Victory” Language: Sam made a resolution to avoid words like “victory,” “triumph,” and “conquest” in Easter sermons. He argues these fail to address the reality that the world remains “rubbish” (full of sin and suffering).
• The Alternative Framework (The “With”):
  • God’s eternal purpose is to be with us.
  • The cross jeopardized this “with-ness” (the cry of dereliction: “My God, why have you forsaken me?”).
  • The resurrection proves that nothing can separate us from the love of God. It is not about conquest over the world, but about the final, indestructible inseparability between God and humanity, achieved through the reuniting power of the Holy Spirit.