What Is Good About Good Friday?
Good Morning Friends,
We celebrate this Good Friday because we believe it to be a crucial day in the most momentous weekend in the history of the world. To start it off, last night our family attended a Tenebrae/ Maundy Thursday service. We sang in the choir, served and received communion and then we joined the congregation in the pews. At that point in the service readings and music solos were paired with the lights being dimmed, the candles being extinguished and the sanctuary growing increasingly darker. And finally in the murky shadows we asked Jesus to remember us when He comes into His Kingdom. At that moment the service was over… there was no benediction…we were left in silence to contemplate Jesus’ suffering and all the questions that today’s scripture considers and one more for me, namely, What Is Good About Good Friday?
Scripture: Top of Form
Bottom of Form
34Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’* And they cast lots to divide his clothing.
Luke 23:34 (NRSV)
11Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus said, ‘You say so.’ 12But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. 13Then Pilate said to him, ‘Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?’ 14But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. 15 Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. 16At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus* Barabbas. 17So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus* Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?’*
18For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. 19While he was sitting on the judgement seat, his wife sent word to him, ‘Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.’ 20Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. 21The governor again said to them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release for you?’ And they said, ‘Barabbas.’ 22Pilate said to them, ‘Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?’* All of them said, ‘Let him be crucified!’ 23Then he asked, ‘Why, what evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Let him be crucified!’ 24So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood;* see to it yourselves.’ 25Then the people as a whole answered, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’ 26So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.
Matthew 27:11-26 (NRSV)
46Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last.
Luke 23:46 (NRSV)
Message: Jewish families begin the eight-day Passover holiday on this Friday at sundown and Christians mark the crucifixion of Jesus. The two do not often coincide. But this year they converge and all the events of Lent and Holy Week seem to be converging as well. We are being prepared to face death… our own death. This is somber stuff. And with the events come a lot of questions. Is Jesus the King of the Jews? Is He our King? Were we there when they nailed him to the cross? Would we choose Jesus or Barabbas? What evil has been done? Was Judas’ repentance enough? And finally why would we call Good Friday “good,” when it is such a dark and bleak event commemorating a day of suffering and death for Jesus? Well less than a week ago we were singing Hosannas on Palm Sunday, yesterday we joined Jesus and his disciples for the Last Supper at Maundy Thursday service and now on this Good Friday as played out in the Tenebrae service we continue to experience the darkness that fell over the earth as Jesus died. Here we might just discover that the better way to experience this week is to follow in the way of the love and life of Jesus. Certainly the way to experience the Resurrection is to face the reality of death on the cross but also the reality of life. And so on this day people will pray, people will give to the poor and fast. Some will contemplate the Stations of the Cross or the seven last words of Christ, but none of that points to this being such a good day. But there is something that is good about this day and it is that it shows us how far God will go to save us for life. It demonstrates in retrospect the amazing extent of the love of God and how a man, Jesus, finished well. And for that we indeed need to call it Good Friday. You see Good Friday marks the day when wrath and mercy met at the cross. That’s why Good Friday is so dark and but also so good.
Pray we experience the harmony of these words of forgiveness, salvation, relationship, abandonment, distress, triumph and reunion. Pray we experience the harmony of Jesus even though we do not have harmony. Pray we have faith to pray a wordless prayer in silence, believing God will provide the right words for us. Pray that even though we have betrayed, denied, abandoned, mocked and crucified Jesus, God would have mercy on us. Pray we realize the truth that Jesus is our only hope. Pray we would experience more than the truth of hope but also the truth of God’s saving power way beyond the grave to the life everlasting through Jesus Christ our Lord. Pray we would proclaimed the cross and resurrection of Jesus to be the decisive turning point for all creation. Pray we understand what God wants us to accomplish with the life we have been given. Pray we put our lives in the hands of a glorious God.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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