Good Friday
Good Friday is a solemn day as we
remember the day that Jesus was crucified on the cross for us. It is a day of deep sorrow and grief, as we
acknowledge the immense suffering that Jesus endured on our behalf. Let us
never forget that this was our suffering that Jesus took in our place – God
made him who had no sin to become our sin. Jesus’ cry of anguish expresses the
significance of sin and the depth of Jesus’ suffering as even he, the Son of
God, feels the separation from his Father as he bears the burden of our sin and
the abandonment of his Father because of it: My God, why have you abandoned me?
This was not a symbolic death but
true death with true pain even crying out in thirst.
But today is also a day of hope
and redemption as God made him who had no sin to become our sin so that we
would become the righteousness of God. Let
us never forget that through his death on the cross, Jesus offers us the gift
of salvation and eternal life because he died the death that had been set aside
for us. As St Paul states – for the wages of sin is death.
Jesus sacrifice serves as a
powerful reminder of the depth of God's love for us, and the lengths to which
he is willing to go to save us from that death as St Paul continues – but the
free gift of God is eternal life. We must never downplay the significance of
today for us and for the world. Jesus was innocent, yet he willingly endured
the agony of the cross for our sake. He
bore the weight of our sins on his shoulders, so that we might be forgiven and
reconciled to God. Let us remember the incredible act of forgiveness that Jesus
displayed on the cross. Even as he hung
in excruciating pain, he prayed for those who had crucified him, asking God to
forgive them. The same God who he felt
had abandoned him.
This extraordinary act of grace
serves as a powerful example for us to follow in our own lives. On this Good
Friday, let us not only reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus, but also consider
how we can live in a way that honors his memory as a witness to the world of
why we believe. Let us strive to show
love and compassion to those around us, just as Jesus did even for those who
crucified him – those who betrayed him (Judas), those who denied him (Peter) -
those who abandoned him (all his disciples).
As we have received forgiveness
for our own sins let us extend that same forgiveness to others and be an
example to the world where forgiveness seems to be so absent. Good Friday
assures us of so much: It assures us that God’s love extends even to the worst
of sinners as Paul called himself for persecuting Christians. Assurance to the criminal by his side in his
dying breath that it is never too late to repent while there is still breath. And
his crucifixion assures us that even in our darkest moments Jesus compassion is
extended to us as even in those final moments he’s not thinking of himself but
others as he cares for his mother Mary
and entrusts her to the care of the disciple John.
And in those final words of Jesus
with his suffering about to end he reminds us that Good Friday completes his
rescue mission for us. “It is finished.” – These powerful words mark a turning
point. Jesus’ mission is complete; the
work of redemption is accomplished. It
is finished. It’s a declaration of victory over sin and death, offering hope
for all humanity. Something that our world cannot give us – hope for the
future. And so, even though he experienced the abandonment of his heavenly
Father he knew that it was only in his Father that he could find comfort.
So as he takes his last breath he
musters all his strength to put his hope in his Father: “Father, into your
hands I commit my spirit.”
On this most holy and sacred day
let us take this opportunity to deepen our faith and draw closer to God by
spending time in prayer and reflect again on the significance of Jesus'
sacrifice for us as we live lives of faith, love, and service to others in
honor of the incredible sacrifice that was made for us by Jesus on Good Friday.
No comments:
Post a Comment