Central United Methodist Church (Arlington, Virginia) Sermon Podcast

The Beloved Disciple
Scripture: John 19:25–27 (CEB)
Part of the Witness at the Cross Lenten series
At the foot of the cross, a small group remains with Jesus in his final moments. Among them is an unnamed figure in the Gospel of John known simply as the beloved disciple. In this week’s sermon, we stand beside Mary, the mother of Jesus, and this anonymous disciple to reflect on what it means to remain close to Christ even in moments of suffering.
Drawing on insights from Amy-Jill Levine’s Witness at the Cross: A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Friday, we explore why this disciple may have been intentionally left unnamed. By leaving the beloved disciple anonymous, the Gospel invites each of us to step into the story—to see ourselves as the one whom Jesus loves and the one called to care for others in his name.
From the cross, Jesus forms a new kind of family. He says to Mary, “Here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” In that moment, family is redefined—not by biology, marriage, or obligation—but by love, faithfulness, and care for one another in Christ.
Standing close to the cross is not only about remembering the past. It calls us to look around and notice who is beside us, and to practice love in concrete ways—through presence, hospitality, and acts of compassion that reflect Christ’s love in the world.
🌀 Reflection Questions
• What spiritual practices help you stand closer to the cross and gain clarity and focus on what Jesus wants you to see?
 • What does “family” mean to you after hearing John 19:25–27? How does that shape your commitments?
 • Who is the person standing at the cross with you whom Jesus is calling you to love like family? What action can you take this week to love them well?
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The Soldiers
Scripture: Mark 15:16–25 (CEB)
Part of the Witness at the Cross Lenten series
What happens when people simply follow orders within a powerful system? In this week’s sermon, we stand at the cross alongside the Roman soldiers who carried out Jesus’ crucifixion and reflect on what their story reveals about obedience, responsibility, and witnessing to truth.
Drawing on insights from Amy-Jill Levine’s Witness at the Cross: A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Friday, we explore how Mark’s Gospel presents these soldiers not simply as villains, but as ordinary people participating in the machinery of empire. Their actions invite us to wrestle with difficult questions about the systems we live within and the choices we make every day.
Yet even in the midst of this difficult reflection, the Gospel offers hope. At the foot of the cross, a Roman centurion witnesses Jesus’ death and declares, “Truly this man was God’s Son.” In that moment, someone who had been part of the system becomes a witness to the truth.
This story invites us to consider how Christ calls us to move from passive participation toward courageous witness—speaking truth, seeking justice, and living as citizens of a different kind of kingdom.
🌀 Reflection Questions
• The soldiers were following orders when they crucified Jesus. When is it okay to follow rules, and when should we question them?
 • When have you found yourself “just going along” with something you knew wasn’t right? What made it hard to speak up or step out of line?
 • The centurion saw Jesus die and declared, “Truly this man was God’s Son.” What would it take for us to become witnesses to the truth rather than just participants in the system?
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A Thief’s Prayer
Scripture: Luke 23:39–43 (CEB)
Part of the Witness at the Cross Lenten series
In this week’s sermon, we remain at the cross and listen closely to a voice we might otherwise overlook—a condemned criminal hanging beside Jesus. In Luke’s Gospel, two men are crucified with him. One joins the chorus of mockery: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us.” The other does something astonishing.
He sees a king.
While religious leaders sneer, soldiers gamble, and a sign above Jesus’ head reads “King of the Jews,” this dying man recognizes what others cannot. He tells the truth about himself—“We are rightly condemned.” He declares Jesus’ innocence—“This man has done nothing wrong.” And then he dares to believe that Jesus’ kingdom is still coming.
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Not if. When.
Drawing on insights from Amy-Jill Levine’s Witness at the Cross, we reflect on how this second criminal represents a radically different response to Jesus’ suffering. With nothing left to prove, no reputation to defend, and no time to make amends, he offers only an honest heart and a simple prayer. And in response, Jesus speaks one of the most grace-filled promises in all of Scripture:
“Today you will be with me in paradise.”
Throughout Christian history, believers have tried to explain how the cross accomplishes salvation—through ransom, satisfaction, substitution, moral influence, Christus Victor, and more. Yet what they all share is this: our salvation rests on God’s action, not our own. Jesus does what we cannot do.
The thief understands this before any theologian names it. He brings no good works, no theological credentials, no time to “get it right.” His only claim is this: “The man on the middle cross said I could come.” And that is enough.
As we prepare to come to the table of grace and reflect at the prayer stations, we are invited to release our regrets, fears, and shame into the hands of the crucified King. The kingdom that comes through the cross is not built on force or self-protection. It is a kingdom where grace meets us at our worst moment, where a King dies even for his enemies, and where Jesus looks at us and says, “I remember you. You’re with me.”
🌀 Reflection Questions:
Does seeing Jesus as a suffering King change the way you imagine God’s power?
The thief’s only credential for paradise was, “The man on the middle cross said I could come.” How does this simple truth challenge or comfort you in your faith journey?
How does focusing on our salvation originating in God’s action through Christ—rather than our faith or our works—influence your daily walk with Jesus?
✨ Listen as we stand between two crosses, hear a dying man’s prayer, and rediscover the grace that welcomes us—not because we have earned it, but because Christ has spoken.
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The Cross as a Witness: Ash Wednesday
Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21
We begin Lent by marking ourselves with ashes and hearing the words, “Remember that you are dust.” Ash Wednesday confronts us with mortality — but it also points us to hope.
In this opening message of our Witness at the Cross series, we reflect on how the cross stands as a witness to two realities at once: the certainty of death and the greater certainty of God’s love in Christ. The cross exposes the emptiness of performative religion and calls us into a deeper, hidden faith.
Drawing from Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6, we explore how secret giving, private prayer, and unseen fasting become acts of quiet resistance — contending against pride, control, and the lie that more is always better. These Lenten disciplines are not about earning applause or perfecting ourselves. They are about allowing God’s grace to shape us in the hidden places of the heart.
In that secret place, resurrection begins.
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Bystanders and Scoffers
Scripture: Matthew 27:27-44 (CEB)
Part of the Witness at the Cross Lenten series 
In this week’s sermon, we step into the final hours of Jesus’ life, witnessing the suffering, mockery, and crucifixion in Matthew 27. From Roman soldiers to passing crowds, from religious leaders to Simon of Cyrene, we encounter the many bystanders and scoffers surrounding the cross—and we are invited to see ourselves among them.
Drawing on Amy-Jill Levine’s insights from Witness at the Cross: A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Friday, we explore questions that challenge our daily lives: Are there any innocent bystanders? When do we remain silent in the face of injustice, and what might it take to move from observation to action? How does Simon’s compelled act of carrying the cross deepen our understanding of discipleship and responsibility?
This sermon also warns of the danger when those in positions of religious or social authority use influence to harm others in God’s name. How can we hold ourselves and our faith communities accountable, ensuring that our witness reflects Jesus’ inclusive love rather than fear or prejudice?
🌀 Reflection Questions:
When have you found yourself as a “bystander” to someone else’s suffering or injustice? What made it difficult to step in, and looking back, what might have helped you become a participant instead?
How does Simon of Cyrene’s story challenge your understanding of what it means to “carry the cross” in your daily life? Where is Jesus inviting you to carry something this week?
How can we ensure our witness in the world mirrors Christ’s inclusive love rather than our own biases?
✨ Listen as we journey to the cross, confront the scoffers and bystanders within and around us, and consider how God calls us to active, faithful presence in a world that desperately needs courage and compassion.
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