I have always loved “punny” humor – gags that were built around clever uses and misuses of the English language. I enjoyed “dad jokes” long before I was a dad and long before I knew that they had any jokes. I would stay up to watch Johnny Carson when he had guests like Milton Berle, Henny Youngman, Rodney Dangerfield, or Groucho Marx on his show.
Yesterday I watched one of the greatest “dad joke” movies ever made. Leslie Nielsen carved a second career around a specific genre of comedic movies. His first was the movie Airplane! It handles a broad range of satire and silliness to perfection. The movie was made in 1980 to poke fun at the disaster films of the era.
As we were watching the movie, I would announce when a particularly clever scene was about to appear. Here is where he first has his drinking problem. Here is where he is going to pull out the electrical cord. Here is where Nielsen is going to say,
“Can you fly this plane and land it?”
“Surely you can’t be serious.”
“I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley.”
I wanted everyone to be prepared to watch. Humor was on its way and it shouldn’t be missed. Let’s all enjoy this together.
Sometimes we announce bad news the same way, so that all can be prepared for it. Bad weather is approaching. The worst is yet to come for the virus crisis. The stock markets will take a hit.
Before the events of the arrest, trial and crucifixion, Jesus told the disciples how the events would unfold. “I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does you may believe.”
We tell people ahead of time so they wont miss what is coming. We warn them so they can be prepared. We don’t want them to be surprised. We want them to understand how to handle the circumstance.
Jesus had been telling the disciples what was going to happen so they might be prepared. On several occasions, Jesus looked ahead to the events of this week and warned the disciples. He wanted them to be prepared. He wanted them to believe.
From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised (Matthew 16:21 ESV).
As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men” (Matthew 17:22 ESV).
And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again (Mark 8:31 ESV).
J.K. Rowling, in the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, “Enter, stranger, but take heed Of what awaits the sin of greed, For those who take, but do not earn, Must pay most dearly in their turn.”
Take heed of what awaits.
On this, the last Thursday of the earthly ministry of Jesus, He was delivered before the chief priests, elders and scribes. He was given the sentence of death and condemned. Honor Jesus on this day by reading some of the account of the crucifixion from the gospels. You can find a good summary by reading Mark 15:16-19, Mark 15:20-23, Mark 15:24-37; Mark 15:38-41 and Mark 15:42-47.