Good Friday
The text in Gafney’s Lectionary is a long one for Good Friday. We will start in the middle of it.
Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this person for leading the people astray. Look now, I have examined him in your presence and have not found this person guilty of your charges against him. Nor has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look here, there is nothing deserving death in his case. Therefore whip and release him.”
Then they shouted together, saying, “Away with him! Release for us Barabbas”
Barabbas was in prison for murder having masterminded a rebellion that had take place in the city. Again Pilate appealed to the crowds but the crowd kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” He asked them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found nothing deserving of death; I will, therefore, have him whipped and release him.” But the crowd instead with loud shouts that he be crucified, and their voices prevailed. So Pilate passed sentence to grant their demand and released the one in prison for rebellion and murder who they asked for, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.
Good Friday
The text in Gafney’s Lectionary is a long one for Good Friday. We will start in the middle of it.
Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this person for leading the people astray. Look now, I have examined him in your presence and have not found this person guilty of your charges against him. Nor has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look here, there is nothing deserving death in his case. Therefore whip and release him.”
Then they shouted together, saying, “Away with him! Release for us Barabbas”
Barabbas was in prison for murder having masterminded a rebellion that had take place in the city. Again Pilate appealed to the crowds but the crowd kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” He asked them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found nothing deserving of death; I will, therefore, have him whipped and release him.” But the crowd instead with loud shouts that he be crucified, and their voices prevailed. So Pilate passed sentence to grant their demand and released the one in prison for rebellion and murder who they asked for, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.
How quickly things can turn. Where there had been cries of ‘Hosanna’ there are now shouts of ‘Crucify him!’
As they led Jesus away, they seized Simon of Cyrene who was coming from the country, and they laid on him the cross to carry behind Jesus. A great number of people followed him, and a group of women who were beating their breasts and walling for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, weep only for yourselves and for your children. Look, the days are surely coming when they will say, Blessed are barren women, and wombs that have never given birth, and breasts that have never nourished. Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us’; and to the hills 'Cover us’ For if when the wood is green they do this, when it is dry what will happen?"
Now two criminals were also led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place called Skull, there they crucified Jesus with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." They divided his clothing by casting lots. And the people stood there, watching; but the leaders ridiculed him, saying, "Others he saved; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, God's chosen one!" The soldiers also mocked him, coming and offering him vinegar wine, and saying, "If you are the King of the Judeans, save yourself. There was also an inscription above him, "This is the King of the Judeans."
One of the criminals who was hanging there derided him, saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same death sentence? And we indeed justly, for what we have done merits what we are receiving, but this one has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your realm." Jesus replied to him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
And it was now about the sixth hour of the day, or noon, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour of the day, about three in the afternoon. The sun's light ceased, and the curtain of the temple was torn in the middle. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." Saying this then, he breathed out a final time, Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he praised God, saying, "This man was indeed innocent." And all the crowds that had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, beating their breasts, they turned back. All those who knew him stood far off; the women who had followed him from Galilee were watching these things.
Try and make some space for silence in today.
Here is a poem to help you reflect and remain in this day, not jumping too quickly through it to Easter Sunday. Sunday is coming, but we aren’t there yet.
We sit with the loss today
We can only lean into You
And find You in the darkness
The sun, in solidarity with
The Light of the World
Went dark that day
We sit in the darkness
The earth, in union with
The Rock of our Salvation
Quaked and was broken apart
When everything shakes
You are
The curtain in the Temple
Once a barrier
Torn, like Your body
A new way is made ready
But first death
But first hell
But first there is work to be done
