Sermon by The Rev. Matthew Idicula, April 14, 2006

Good Friday Meditation

After a long lent season; finally another Good Friday is here. Good Friday is one of the most important days in the Christian calendar. Christians all over the world are celebrating today as Good Friday. We may see many similarities and comparisons with Christianity and other world religions. But only in Christian religion we will see a God, who came down to this world and lived as one among us and died for our sins. What happened on Good Friday made the difference in Christianity from other religions.

As we heard last week during our passion narrations and saw today during the Stations of the Cross; Jesus spoke very little and answered very few questions during his trials. But at the Cross he was not so silent. Jesus’ seven words from the cross are important Christian values and also important for Christian faith. It reveals the character of Christian life and teaches what Christianity is all about. These were also the last words Jesus spoke before his death on the cross. Not all of the gospels recorded all of these words. Let us meditate on these words taken from different gospels very briefly.

First word is taken from Lk. 23:34, “Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, There is nothing so lovely, and there is nothing so rare, as Christian forgiveness. Jesus said many wonderful things, but He rarely said anything more wonderful than, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” Others may have in their hearts the unforgiving spirit; others may sin in ignorance; but we know better; we are followers of Christ, we are Christians and we must know better we must forgive as Christ forgave.

(2) “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Lk. 23:43) The word paradise is a Persian word meaning a walled garden. Jesus promised the thief the honored place of a companion of the garden in the courts of heaven. Surely this story tells us above all things that it is never too late to turn to Christ. There are other things of which we must say, the time for that is past or I am too old for that but we can never say that of turning to Jesus Christ. So long as a man’s heart beats, the invitation of Christ still stands. For us it is literally true that while there is life there is hope.

The story also tells us repentance not old covenant is the key to salvation. Jesus is a savior always for everyone. No matter who, when and where. If we repent it is never too late for us to reach to Christ. Truly I tell you; today you will be with me in paradise.”

(3) “Woman, here is your son” “Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” (John 19:26-27) In the end Jesus was not alone. At his Cross there were four women named Mary along with his disciples. Jesus’ mother, Mary, Jesus’ mother’s sister, Mary, Mary from Magdala who loved him and Mary the wife of Clopas, we know little about. The presence of these women at the Cross, a very dangerous place at that time was not due to the fact that they were so unimportant that no one would recognize them. Their presence was indeed due to the fact that perfect love casts out fear.

In this passage there is something which is surely one of the loveliest things in all the gospel stories. When Jesus was at the Cross he never forgot the duties in this world. Jesus committed his mother Mary to John’s care and John to Mary’s, so that they should comfort each other’s loneliness when he was gone. To the end of the day even when he was on the Cross, he never forgot the duties in this world that lay to his hand. Jesus was thinking more of the sorrows of others in this world than of his own. Jesus cares for each one of us; and he is with us in our sorrows and troubles even if no one else can be found around us. “Woman, here is your son” “Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.”

(4) “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani? Which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34) There is a mystery behind that cry. Maybe it was like this. Jesus had taken this life of ours upon him. In his human life; he had suffered all that life could bring. Jesus really and truly identified himself with the sin of man. Until now Jesus had gone through every experience of life except one-he had never known the consequence of sin. There is one thing sin does, it separates us from God. When Jesus experienced the consequence of sin “Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

(5) “I am thirsty.” (John 19:28) In this passage John brings us face to face with his human sufferings. When Jesus was on the Cross, he knew the agony of thirst. Here John stresses the fact that he was divine at the same time he was human (Jesus’ divinity and humanity) and really underwent the agony of the Cross and all the troubles any human being can bear in this world. “I am thirsty” a sign of Jesus’ human life.

(6) “It is finished.” (John 19:30) The other three Gospel do not tell us that Jesus said, “It is finished.” But they do tell us that he died with a great shout upon his lips. He did not say it is finished in weary defeat; he said it as one who shouts for joy because the victory is won. He accomplished his mission. A job well done! “It is finished.”

Last and seventh words Jesus spoke from the Cross: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46) Jesus died with a prayer on His lips. This is Psalm 31:5 with one word added-the word Father. This was the first prayer that every Jewish mother taught her child to say last thing at night before sleep. “Into your hands I commend my spirit.” Jesus made the prayer more lovely began it with the word Father. Even on a Cross Jesus died like a child falling asleep in his father’s arms.

After a long lent season finally another Good Friday is here. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ; is this going to be another Good Friday for us or this is a special day in our life. If we truly believe that Jesus died for us; for our sins; it is a special, meaningful Good Friday for us. Good Friday means to us forgiveness, repentance, commitment, obedience, sacrifice above all Agape, unconditional love; love to our fellow human beings and to God. May God give us wisdom and knowledge to make this a meaningful Good Friday for us. Amen.