Good Friday 10 April 2020
The prescribed reading for this service is lengthy and you will do well if you could spend some time reading it as part of this reflection and meditation. This is more of a meditational reflection than sermon and or homily and deals with the different characters and events between the arrest and death of Jesus as part of the passion narrative, leading up to the glory of the resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Dear friends whether it is the first Good Friday, April 3, A.D. 33 or 10 April 2020, it is the darkest day in human history, though most humans have no clue of this.
In Rome, then Tiberius attended to the demanding business of the empire, as leaders of the world and individual countries, including our own country, president and cabinets do so now.
Throughout the inhabited world, babies are born, people eat and drink, marry and are given in marriage, bargain in marketplaces, sail merchant ships, and fight battles.
Children play, old women gossip, young men lust, and people die.
But today, one death, one brutal, gruesome death, the worst and best of all human deaths, will leave upon the canvas of human history the darkest brushstroke.
In Jerusalem, God the Son, the Creator of all that is will be executed.
And if this sounds like an old folk tale, it will still be okay, because we need to hear this, try to understand this, observe what is happening, watch and see, feel, experience and value the events of this day for what it is worth, something special, meaningful for all believers and not just another public holiday.
The Garden
The Jewish day started at dusk the previous day and it could not be more appropriate than now, because the hour is here and the power of darkness has descended.
\Jesus found himself in Gethsemane in prayer in loud lament, tears and calling out to His Father, pleading and we cannot but wonder whose will shall be done.
Jesus heard a noise and as He looks up, He saw the lights of torches in the dark approaching and heard the voices of those coming to arrest Him.
He woke up His sleeping friends, who were filled with shock and rage at the betrayal of Jesus by their friend Judas, with a kiss.
Soldiers and servants surrounded Jesus, and Peter filled with bitterness and anger took his sword and lashes out to those around him.
Malchus tried to duck, but too slowly and in the process lost an ear.
Pain and blood is all that he feels and sees and then a gentle hand touching his ear and gone was the pain.
In amazement he stood for a moment and saw how Jesus was led away and His disciples scattered, and then had another look at his hands and the blood.
The Sanhedrin
Jesus is led roughly into the house of Annas, a former High Priest, who questions him about his teaching.
Jesus knows this informal interrogation is meant to catch him disoriented and unguarded.
He is neither, and gives this manipulative leader nothing.
Rather, he refers Annas to his hearers and is struck with irony by a Jewish officer for showing disrespect.
Frustrated, Annas sends Jesus on to his son-in-law Caiaphas, the current high priest.
At the house of Caiaphas the trial is continued with haste, because the break of day is with them.
The council needs a condemning outcome before daybreak and tired councilors entered the chamber to partake in this travesty of justice.
Witnesses were gathered hastily and their testimonies do not agree, councilors were impatient and unhappy because they do not present a convincing case.
Jesus is also not of any help in their cause with His silent treatment and humility that causes irritation with everyone present.
Caiaphas tried his best to steer the case and enquired from Jesus “I command you, tell us, are you the Christ, the Son of God?”
“ The hour is here as was ordered by the Father said Jesus in words that sealed His condemnation as final.
“You said this, but I say to you, you will see the Son of Man sit on the right hand of the throne of the Father, and he shall return on the clouds of heaven”
In a dramatic fashion Caiaphas tore his clothes and could not keep his excitement at the assumed blaspehmy of Jesus and he ordered the court to an end with the words “ What more do you need, we heard it all from Himself”
And as the sun set over the eastern side of Jerusalem the silhouette of a man hanging by his belt could be seen, Judas, Judas Iscariot.
Peter double-folded in tears because of his failure and Jesus’s face dirty with caked blood and the spit of the temple police..
The verdict of the council, guilty on charges of blasphemy, the sentence death by hanging, but they could not execute this, they needed the Romans.
The Governor
Pilate is not in a good mood over the Council’s sudden adamant invasion so early in the morning and it worsens as he grasps the futility of the situation. They want him to execute a Galilean “prophet.”
His expert instincts tell him something isn’t right, but he complied and questions Jesus only to declare that he finds no guilt in Him.
What follows is a game of chess between pawns, who thought of themselves as kings.
Pilate sends Jesus to Herod Antipas and Herod after he had his fun send Jesus back to Pilate.
Pilate offer to release Jesus as his Passover pardon, the Jews, said, not him.
He tried again, hoping that a flogging would be okay, but the bloodthirsty Jews wanted a crucifixion and would stop at nothing less.
Pilatus could not find anything worthy of a death sentence, Herod wanted a sign and the Jewish leaders the blood of Jesus.
Pilate was in panic and concluded that if the man’s claim to kingship was truthful, that He would represent a threat unto Rome.
Nervously he succumbed to the pressure and the Jewish council made the final move.
Lost Jewish leaders, unbelieving Pagans and dark spiritual forces conspired to condemn the most innocent to death in order that the worst sinner amongst us could have life and life in abundance.
The Cross
It was the dawn of a new day when Jesus struggled out of the Praetorium , disfigured, beaten and bleeding with the roman soldiers being creative in their ruthlessness to make this one pay.
Thorns were tearing at his scalp and his back was an open wound.
Golgotha was less than two kilometers away, but Jesus was without any strength to bear the load of the cross and Simon of Cyrene was commanded to help.
Twenty-five minutes later, Jesus is hanging in sheer agony on one of the cruelest instruments of torture ever devised.
The King is flanked on either side by thieves, and around him are onlookers and mockers.
“Let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”
One dying thief even joins in the derision, because they do not understand that if the King saves himself, their only hope for salvation is lost.
Jesus asks his Father to forgive them and the other crucified thief sees a Messiah in the mutilated man beside him, and he asks the Messiah to remember him.
Jesus’s prayer is beginning to be answered. Hundreds of millions will follow.
“No greater love, humility, or obedience has ever or will ever be displayed.”
It was early afternoon and the darkness made everyone uncomfortable and Jesus was sweating blood .
The honored of Palm/Passion Sunday has become the cursed of God Friday.
In deep bitter agony and loneliness he cried out “ My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me.”
No greater love, and humility in obedience has ever and will ever hereafter be shown by anyone.
It is just after three in the afternoon and Jesus whispered “I thirst”
In love He emptied the Fathers cup of wrath to the last drop and carried our curse.
There is no debt to be paid, nothing more needed to be given.
With the bitter taste of the wine He cried “ It is finished” and the Son of God died.
It was the worst and the best of human death, on the cross He, Jesus carried our sins in His body.
The righteous died for the sinners in order to take them to their God and now it is finished.
The Tomb
The two people who returned to claim the body of Jesus, ironically were not family or friends, but two Jewish councilors, Josef of Arimethea and Nicodemus.
Unexpected grace woven into the story of redemption.
They covered the body with a linen sheet and laid it in the grave, for the evening was fast approaching and they did not offer a complete burial.
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus were with them and they marked the grave with caution, planning to return on the first day of the week with spices to do what is customary.
Judas, Peter, Malchus, Pilate, Herod Antipas, Annas, Caiaphas, thieves, Mary’s, Joseph, Nicodemus, what about us, you and me?
AMEN
