Reflections for Good Friday
The idea of "Good Friday" is a paradox. In reality there is nothing good about the day. It is a day of desolation, despair, and death. We hear the cries of dereliction -- "My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?" (Mk. 15:34-35). We also hear words of forgiveness (Lk:23:32-34) and concern for the other (Jn 19:26-27). We watch as those closest to Jesus, his friends and followers disappear (though a few, mostly women, remain nearby).
So, what is good about this day? The good of the days must be seen with hindsight. It is the perspective of Easter that makes it good, for we know that God had not abandoned Jesus, that his message of liberty, love, and grace was vindicated. We could argue about the "nature" of the resurrection, whether it's a historical event or metaphor, but to argue the point misses the point (there is a place for scholarly discussion) but not on this weekend. We come today to consider a life given, hoping to find in this event the presence of God and hope for the future.
For a number of years I participated in an ecumenical Good Friday service that focused on the Seven Last Words of Christ (yes these words are taken from the four gospels in a conflated sort of way), but the words reflect our hopes and dreams, fears and concerns as we approach Easter.
The final word is an appropriate one: "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." (Lk 23:44-49). This is our position this day. We come as God's people, wrestling with the things of life, and viewing life through the lens of the cross, it is appropriate to commend our spirit to the care of the Father.
Note:
See my sermons on these words as published in A Cry from the Cross: Sermons on the Seven Last Words of Christ, (CSS Publishing Co), 2008.
So, what is good about this day? The good of the days must be seen with hindsight. It is the perspective of Easter that makes it good, for we know that God had not abandoned Jesus, that his message of liberty, love, and grace was vindicated. We could argue about the "nature" of the resurrection, whether it's a historical event or metaphor, but to argue the point misses the point (there is a place for scholarly discussion) but not on this weekend. We come today to consider a life given, hoping to find in this event the presence of God and hope for the future.
For a number of years I participated in an ecumenical Good Friday service that focused on the Seven Last Words of Christ (yes these words are taken from the four gospels in a conflated sort of way), but the words reflect our hopes and dreams, fears and concerns as we approach Easter.
The final word is an appropriate one: "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." (Lk 23:44-49). This is our position this day. We come as God's people, wrestling with the things of life, and viewing life through the lens of the cross, it is appropriate to commend our spirit to the care of the Father.
Note:
See my sermons on these words as published in A Cry from the Cross: Sermons on the Seven Last Words of Christ, (CSS Publishing Co), 2008.
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