This sermon was delivered at the beginning of the tenebrae service held at my internship congregation. John 18.1-19.42 was read, with responses taken from Isaiah 52.13-53.12 and Psalm 22 interspersed.
Why is this day so important? Why remember the story of Good Friday? Yes, it is part of the larger story of passion week. But we know how passion week ends. We know of the coming resurrection. Why tell this bloody, violent, incredibly sad and heart wrenching story?
We remember this day because the resurrected Jesus, he still had nail holes in his hands and feet. The resurrection does not cancel out the crucifixion, does not mean we no longer need to tell this part of the story. Without the crucifixion, there is not resurrection.
And so, in the coming hour, we hear the story. We hear the words of Psalm 22 and Isaiah. The words are gut-wrenching, difficult, and heartbreaking. Woven throughout them will be the story of the Jesus’ arrest, trial and crucifixion from the gospel of John. Today/tonight we hear of the death of Christ.
In Psalm 22, the psalmist writes desperate words - of being close to death and having enemies all around, the psalmist pleas for deliverance from the suffering. This may bring many images of desperation to mind. We think of those around the world desperate for food, clean water, freedom. We think of those friends and family members desperate for jobs, love, freedom from addictions. We remember times in our lives, or perhaps even in our life right now, that we have felt weakened and beaten down to the point of desperation. We think about the words Jesus cries out from the cross; the very first verse of this Psalm “ My God, My God, why have you forsaken me.”
In Isaiah, we will hear words about a servant who suffers. We are immediately reminded of Jesus and his suffering, but we also remember others who suffer as a result of their service. Perhaps following their call to participate in God’s mission has taken them to places of danger - they get caught up in violence or a natural disaster while doing work around the world. But really, we can participate in God’s mission wherever we are, in our daily lives. We don’t have to go far, in fact we don’t have to go anywhere, to find pain and suffering. Simply living life, being a servant of God, means it will come. We hear the words of Isaiah and wonder about the role of suffering in our lives – why is it there, etc.
Finally, we will hear the story of the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus. The emotions we have around this part of the story are likely many and varied. Incredible gratitude when we think about what God was willing to suffer on our behalf. Deep grief that we had a role in the broken-ness in the world that drove God to action. Worry that our salvation came from a violent event.
We remember this day not just for the story itself, we remember this day because of the deep promise it holds. You see, this day epitomizes “God with us”. In Jesus’ death, there can be absolutely no denial of his humanity. We think back to John, chapter 1, “And the Word became flesh.” Death is a part of what it means to be flesh. God did not become flesh for certain times, when it was comfortable. God took on the full humanity, even to the point of death.
But Jesus’ death was not the only thing that happened on that day. If we picture the scene of the crucifixion and start peeling away layers of that scene – if we take away the noises – the wailing and crying and mourning, the sound of nails pounding through flesh and into wood, the moans of a dying Christ – if we take away the gore and blood and violence. There is still something left – a promise. It is in the last place we would expect, it is in a death that we find a promise. A promise that God has always been, is right now, and will be with us always and everywhere – to the point of and in the midst of death. In the times of our worst suffering, God is present with us, and will lift us from that suffering. In the story of Jesus’ death – there is triumph – there is something good. Because we know that God can work for good in any situation, and we know that because of this day. You see, God did not send his son to be crucified. Jesus’ death was not the magic predestined event that made us all free, Jesus’ death was the price of unfailing faithfulness and acts of love. Because we live in a broken and sinful world, the world’s response to Jesus’ acts of love and unfailing faithfulness was execution. And God worked for good in that violent event. This sad day, this violent event, it became woven in the fabric of our salvation, of God’s triumph and victory.
Yes, the triumph and victory of God includes a violent story. Yet we must never misunderstand this to be a glorification of violence. Jesus spent his life teaching the ways of non-violence and love. Jesus condemns acts of violence as unacceptable
Even on the cross, Jesus uttered phrases such as “forgive them for they know not what they do” and told a sinner “today you will be with me in paradise.” The phrase “we all have our cross to bear” has been twisted in disgusting ways to convince people to stay in abusive relationships, to justify acts of violence. Jesus drew a line, Jesus stood up and opposed acts of hatred, cruelty and violence. Never, never let anyone tell you that your suffering now will earn you anything, that being a victim is simply part of being a good Christian, that your reward will be in heaven, so it is okay to endure abuse now. God does not require suffering from us for any reason, it earns us no special treatment – it only breaks God’s heart. Jesus never promised we would live lives free of suffering. But he did teach us how to prevent unnecessary suffering and how to heal each other when we have been wounded.
He never promised there would be no suffering, but in the story of a cross, he does bring a promise. The reason we tell this story today, the reason we remember an incredibly painful event, is because contained in that event is the promise that GOD IS ALWAYS WITH US. In our lives, when we feel desperate like the Psalmist, when we experience crucifixion-events in our lives, we can stand strong in the promise that God enters into each moment of those experiences, each moment of our lives and is triumphant. We are not only accompanied by a God of love, we are redeemed but the ultimate act of love.
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