Looking Forward to March 30, 2018 -- Good Friday (10:00 am)

As we move through Holy Week we pause to remember the whole story. It may be tempting to jump from the joy of a Palm Parade to the joy of an empty tomb but that is not the story (Personally I think it also robs the Easter story of some of its power). Instead we follow the cycle from triumph to defeat to waiting for possible triumph. On Friday we sink to the depths of defeat. With the close of the Friday service we enter the time of vigil and waiting. In fact there is a tradition that the Good Friday service does not actually end. Instead it goes into recess, ending only after the first service of Easter.

This year we will read the Good Friday Scripture as told in John's Gospel (John 18:1-19:42).

Early Thoughts: What leaps out from the story this year? After all, we read one version of it every year.

One of the classical understandings of the cross is that Jesus dies in our place. Given that in chapter 11, after Jesus raised Lazarus, the comment is made that it is better that one man should die than the nation be destroyed it would appear that John's Gospel might support such a reading.  Though of course Caiaphas was referring to the quashing of a rabble-rousing revolutionary before he led the nation against Rome, not a theological point about sin and forgiveness. But at the same time John is unique in that by his account Jesus says "it is finished" and gives up his life at approximately the same time that the Passover lambs are being killed before roasting for the Seder meal that evening. So obviously John sees some symbolism here along the lines of Jesus dying on our behalf.

What might that mean? What might it mean that the Word-Made-Flesh, that God-With-Us chooses to give up his life? That would seem to be a primary theological question on Good Friday. What does it say about the kingship and power language so evident in the trial by Pilate? How does that tie in to Pilate and Jesus' exchange about truth? What does it say about teh leadership who are so willing to sacrifice Jesus to protect "the nation"?
--Gord