Good Friday

Good Friday –‘The Painful Day’

Today is the ‘Painful Day’ we call Good Friday, the sombre day when as Christians we pause, feel a little numb and reflect on those poignant last words spoken from the cross ‘it is finished’.

The years between, over two thousand of them, do not lessen that numbness or take away the pain which we feel on this day.
For worship leaders it is so important for us to painstakingly craft this journey to the cross throughout the days of Holy Week so that others might be encouraged to journey with Jesus, and us, throughout the events of Holy Week. Some will be taking this journey for the first time, for others it will be one of many Holy Week journeys they have taken but whether your first or one of many the reality and the pain of this day never fail to affect us.

In our reading we are taken along our own Via Dolorosa where we witness the arrest, betrayal, condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus. We see the decisions made, the actions taken or not taken and the pain and sorrow of Jesus’ death - all of which he forgives.

Yes, we feel Jesus’ pain as he is hung high on the cross to die but we also feel the pain of Peter devasted by his denial of his Lord. We feel the pain of Pilate who finds no wrong in Jesus, yet has to wash his hands of him. We feel the pain of his mother Mary as she loses her son to death on a cross. We feel the pain of the soldier who has to pierce his side and then later realises this man he has pierced and whose clothes he has gambled to win was indeed the ‘Son of God’. We feel the pain of his followers as they witness his death and the pain of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea as they carry his body to that makeshift tomb. We feel the pain of God.

So much pain which overwhelms our emotions us on this day and leaves us numb and sorrowful. Yet, it is important for us to take this time to reflect today, important to reflect on what was done for us, important for us to feel that pain, to feel a little numb but it is also important to remember that this day, Good Friday, leads us towards Sunday and we cannot celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord, we cannot be resurrection people without first having endured Good Friday.  

So take time to dwell on this part of the journey of Holy Week, read the passage slowly and with much thought and prayer but in your pain remember Sunday is coming.

      

Today’s reading is a very long one so rather than print it out I want to just direct you to it for you to either read in your Bible or perhaps on a site such as Bible Gateway. It is John 18: 1 to 19: 42

Reflection

I again offer you a Reflection from Rev Liz Crumlish based on these words from John 19: 16-18:

Between them

Crucified... between them

Creating a bridge

over which flowed love

Love that was pierced

Love that bled

Love that died

for a time

This Good Friday
that is where I want to be
hunkered down
in that love
that streams between
I know the rest of the story
I know that resurrection happens
But this Good Friday
my eyes are drawn
more than ever
to the cross
where love
was crucified.
And in a world
where many are dying
alone and between
that love,
for me,
is the only possibility
of hope.

Prayer

Loving Lord Jesus,

This is a hard day, a painful day, a day we do not want to remember, but remember we must. On this painful day death comes and we are afraid, we do not want to acknowledge the human cycle of life and death, we do not want to remember our fragile, temporary human life. On this painful day, we face our fear, we look at it in the cross, that wooden instrument of torture and death. On this painful day, we remember that love was revealed in death, that love is not defeated by death; that love wins. Lord help us remember. We ask this in your name. Amen

Symbolic Action

This is a day for silence – take time to sit in silence – no images, no words, no symbols, just silence for on this painful day it is all we have.

***Please Note***

Drama Kirk being unable to meet together to perform ‘The Passion of Christ’ outdoors in Hamilton Town Centre have arranged for a small-scale version of it to be broadcast live today at 3.15pm – type this address into your browser and it should take you to it https://www.youtube.com/HamiltonOld/live

This allows a ‘virtual’ Good Friday gathering to watch the events from Bethany to the Cross to the Resurrection.