I’m not
so much a fan of the term “Good Friday”
I prefer
the moniker “Black Friday” Because the events of this day are dark and filled
with hatred, deception and sin.
First,
Jesus is bound by his fellow Jews – leaders, priests, elders and rabbis – and is
taken to the Roman Governor, Pilate. He has done nothing to break Roman law,
but Pilate is no foo.
He’s well
aware that there is a city full of Jewish people, pilgrims for the Feast of
Passover, that the city has swelled beyond reasonable control of the Roman
soldiers if a riot breaks out.
And he
knows that these Jewish leaders have the ability in this time and place to
cause these huge crowds to turn against him with just a few words…
Peace is
preciously vicarious.
So he
takes the safe way out…
He has a
tradition to uphold for Passover…he can release one prisoner as a gift. So he
offers to let the crowd choose:
Jesus, or
Barrabas - a revolutionary Zealot who has already committed murder.
And at
the urging of the Jewish leaders, this crowd chooses Barrabas. And the crowd doesn’t
just call for the death of Jesus, they call for crucifixion.
To keep
the peace, Pilot released Barrabas, orders the whipping of Jesus with a
lead-tipped whip and turns Jesus over to the Roman soldiers for crucifixion.
After
being whipped and beaten beyond recognition, the soldiers place a crown of
thorns upon his head and press it into his skull, drawing blood. They also
cover his raw flesh with a purple robe and taunt him with words of “Hail! King
of the Jews.”
Then,
Jesus, who likely has not slept since Wednesday night, bleeding, beaten,
whipped, and probably hungry is forced to carry his own cross through the
crowded streets to Golgotha.
24 Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They
divided his clothes and threw dice[c] to
decide who would get each piece. 25 It was nine
o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26 A
sign announced the charge against him. It read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 Two
revolutionaries[d] were
crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.[e]29 The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking
their heads in mockery. “Ha! Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said
you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. 30 Well
then, save yourself and come down from the cross!”
31 The leading priests and teachers of religious
law also mocked Jesus. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save
himself! 32 Let this Messiah, this King of Israel,
come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!” Even the men who
were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him.
33 At noon, darkness fell across the whole land
until three o’clock. 34 Then at three o’clock Jesus
called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”which
means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”[f]35 Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought
he was calling for the prophet Elijah. 36 One of
them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed
stick so he could drink. “Wait!” he said. “Let’s see whether Elijah comes to
take him down!”
37 Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed
his last. 38 And the curtain in the sanctuary of
the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
39 When the Roman officer[g] who
stood facing him[h] saw
how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
(From
Mark 15)
And here I
meet the Jesus who’s birth I celebrated just a few short months ago…a Man who
is truly the Son of God…
He came
as a child for this moment…to go through death in order to undo it for all who
will accept the gift.
And I am
challenged once more…is there enough evidence in my life to convict me as a
follower of Christ? Do I live as if death has been undone? Do I live as if all
of this has happened on my behalf, for the benefit of mankind?
Peace, ya’ll