Good Friday 2008

The boys and girls today at our Good Friday Liturgy have read out for us with great clarity and feeling St John’s account of our Lord’s passion.

In listening to these words you cannot but be struck by what St John has to say. It is filled with drama, with colour and with a deep sense of melancholy. St John is our guide through the scene

St John tells us that they come to arrest Jesus in the middle of the night. It is dark that dark deeds are done. In the night people can hide from their consciences from what they might be fearful will be seen in the day.

This is no small group of people, a cohort was a tenth of a legion and a legion could be as many as 6000 people. So the number of people who come to arrest one single man is 600 people added to that a detachment of guards from the chief priests. A mighty crowd for one man, he must have done something really bad or they were expecting a great deal of trouble. In the end he is taken on his own, his apostles who at first sleep, then at the first sign of trouble take to their heals.

There is, as in every good drama a strong scent of betrayal, so it is in the passion of Christ. Here it is: the betrayal of Judas and denial of Peter. John hides nothing from us, it is his own who deny him and betray him. It is the worst kind of betrayal and denial, betrayal motivated by money on the one hand and the other motivated by fear and cowardice. Peter falls over himself to say that he doesn’t know this man, not just once but three times.

Then there is Jesus’ accuser - the religious and civic authorities. You sense that each want to do away with this person for there own good reasons. Even although clearly St John is sympathetic to Pilate who tries to open doors to let the man go free. For the religious authorities he is a person who upsets people – for the civic authorities he is someone who might disturb the peace.

Then there is the crowd. So like any crowd down through the ages. So easily swayed. At one stage welcoming Jesus and at the other baying for his blood. This is a crowd that knows no limits to its anger. Do we not recognise this crowd: the crowd that bullies; the crowd that wants its own way; the crowd that tramples everything in its path.

In the middle of all of this St John records the small details for us: the servants ear cut off; the slap of the face of Jesus by the soldier; the fact that the night was cold and the bystanders are beside a charcoal fire; the cock crowing; the crown of thorns and a purple robe; that Pilate wrote the charge and put it in Greek, Latin and Hebrew; that they gave him a sponge with vinegar on it; that they ran him through with a lance; that they wrapped his body in spices and laid it in a tomb. All the details are painted for us, the scene is set.

But the one person at the centre he shows us with the greatest dignity is Christ himself. He is the one who is to be arrested, tortured and put to death and yet the one who strangely commands the scene. When they come for him, it is he who asks who are they looking for and when they answer Jesus the Nazarene and he says he is the man, they fall back. Instead of inciting violence to stop his arrest he commands his disciples not to live by the sword. When he comes to be questioned it he who turns the questions first on the religious authorities and then on Pilate. In contrast to the crowd so ill tempered he is quiet and dignified. He even has time to give his mother into the care of his disciple and the mother to the disciple. He even has time to forgive the crowd. He even has time to promise the repentant thief , a place in heaven.

St John wants to remind us that this is not just a wronged prisoner or an innocent man put to death. That these events are fulfilling all the prophecies and scriptures, Jesus is offering his life as a sacrifice, atonement for the sins of all. As the covenants between God and his people were sealed with sacrifice, this is the definitive covenant sealed with the perfect sacrifice. On the altar of the cross, God himself in his son will save the world. He is the innocent lamb offered for all.

Today, this Good Friday, is not a mere gathering to listen to the events. But we represent all humanity come to watch and listen and to take part on the events in which Christ suffered and died. We represent all humanity saved and to be saved through this one event. We stand in silence and wonder before the events.

Lots of people make money their goal. Lots of people make success their aim. Lots of people make fashion the centre of their lives. Lots of people make success their God.

On this day and every day the cross of Christ the centre of our lives. These pieces of wood strapped together with rope. This barbaric sign of punishment. God has come down from heaven, right down, right down to the very lowest in order to raise up everything. There is no sin cannot be forgiven. No wrong that cannot be righted. There is no mistake that cannot be corrected through the power of his cross. No one who is lost who cannot be saved. top Comment on this Homily