“Good Friday?”
Scripture Readings -
Friday AM – Matt. 27:1-34
Noon – Matt. 27:34-45
3:00 PM – Matt. 27:46-55
Evening - Matt. 27:56-61
“The Paschal Triduum or Easter Triduum or Holy Triduum, or Easter Triduum, or the Three Days, is the period of three days that begins with . . . the evening of Maundy Thursday, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, and closes with evening prayer on Easter Sunday. It recalls the Passion, Crucifixion, Death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus, as portrayed in the canonical Gospels.” (Wikipedia). Yesterday was Maundy Thursday, today is Good Friday. Good Friday. Good. Friday. And then, Black Saturday.
Good Friday. Jesus was arrested very late Thursday night. Perhaps even very early Friday morning. The chief priests and elders wanted very much like to put Him to death for claiming to be the Messiah. That won’t hold up in a Roman court and they did not have the authority to execute Him. So, the charge would be treason, sedition, the overthrow of Roman rule. He was taken before Pilate who deferred to Herod who returned Him to Pilate. Luke 23:12 tells us that Pilate and Herod became friends that day. Strange bedfellows, indeed. United in their fear of and concern about this man, Jesus, and His intentions. Pilate, warned by his wife wanted nothing to do with this Jew from Galilee. He seemed to be a threat to no one in particular, but He was a bother. A source of irritation. He wished He would just “go away!”
Trying to save face and deliver himself from the moment he offered the mob a choice between the guilty Barabbas and the innocent Jesus. Barabbas would go free; Jesus would be crucified.
It’s an old story and one we would like to think of mainly as history. But here it is 2021, over 2000 years later, and we are still stuck on that Good Friday with the uncomfortable choice between our own “Barabbas” and Jesus. Who will be “crucified” in our hearts and who will live; who will reign? WE, too, wish He would just “go away” as Pilate wished. People still in some way “wash their hands” of Him in an effort to live more comfortably with their choice of any modern day “Barabbas” but He will not go away. And then there are those who hate the very mention of His name. They, like those of Jesus’ time, love what Jesus did, and what His followers still do, but they hate what Jesus said. They despise His ethic and shun His moral compass.
So, who are we? Will we confess “Jesus is Lord!” Or will we, in our own quiet and polite way shun Him and ask for our own “Barabbas?” As I see it, those are the only choices we have.
What if today were the only day we have to make our choice? One never knows.
On the journey . . .
Pastor J K
Scripture Readings -
Friday AM – Matt. 27:1-34
Noon – Matt. 27:34-45
3:00 PM – Matt. 27:46-55
Evening - Matt. 27:56-61
“The Paschal Triduum or Easter Triduum or Holy Triduum, or Easter Triduum, or the Three Days, is the period of three days that begins with . . . the evening of Maundy Thursday, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, and closes with evening prayer on Easter Sunday. It recalls the Passion, Crucifixion, Death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus, as portrayed in the canonical Gospels.” (Wikipedia). Yesterday was Maundy Thursday, today is Good Friday. Good Friday. Good. Friday. And then, Black Saturday.
Good Friday. Jesus was arrested very late Thursday night. Perhaps even very early Friday morning. The chief priests and elders wanted very much like to put Him to death for claiming to be the Messiah. That won’t hold up in a Roman court and they did not have the authority to execute Him. So, the charge would be treason, sedition, the overthrow of Roman rule. He was taken before Pilate who deferred to Herod who returned Him to Pilate. Luke 23:12 tells us that Pilate and Herod became friends that day. Strange bedfellows, indeed. United in their fear of and concern about this man, Jesus, and His intentions. Pilate, warned by his wife wanted nothing to do with this Jew from Galilee. He seemed to be a threat to no one in particular, but He was a bother. A source of irritation. He wished He would just “go away!”
Trying to save face and deliver himself from the moment he offered the mob a choice between the guilty Barabbas and the innocent Jesus. Barabbas would go free; Jesus would be crucified.
It’s an old story and one we would like to think of mainly as history. But here it is 2021, over 2000 years later, and we are still stuck on that Good Friday with the uncomfortable choice between our own “Barabbas” and Jesus. Who will be “crucified” in our hearts and who will live; who will reign? WE, too, wish He would just “go away” as Pilate wished. People still in some way “wash their hands” of Him in an effort to live more comfortably with their choice of any modern day “Barabbas” but He will not go away. And then there are those who hate the very mention of His name. They, like those of Jesus’ time, love what Jesus did, and what His followers still do, but they hate what Jesus said. They despise His ethic and shun His moral compass.
So, who are we? Will we confess “Jesus is Lord!” Or will we, in our own quiet and polite way shun Him and ask for our own “Barabbas?” As I see it, those are the only choices we have.
What if today were the only day we have to make our choice? One never knows.
On the journey . . .
Pastor J K
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