Good Friday

Psalm 22

One song that has often gripped my heart is this: “Were You There?” It has three stanzas that describe the crucifixion, the death and the burial. Each stanza guides and helps worshippers remember the excruciating pain and suffering of Jesus on the cross: Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree? Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? The words of the song aptly describe the whole mood of Good Friday. It causes us to pause and wonder at the great love of God for all people. – Love crucified.

Today we are invited back to remember the final moments as Jesus breathes His last. We let the words of the scriptures grip our hearts and evoke our emotions as we ponder at Jesus’ last moments – that lonely, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, lips dry, throat parched, brow bleeding from thorn-pricks, shunned and forsaken for our sake. On the cross, Jesus laid aside His immunity to pain and suffering. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and pain. Jesus came to give Himself to us, for us. And He did stop giving until “It is finished.” – Love crucified.

Let us remember Jesus, who did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage.

(silence of remembrance)

May we ever be grateful for Jesus and what He has done for us!

Let us remember Jesus, who prayed for the forgiveness of those who denied, rejected and crucified Him.

(silence of remembrance)

May we ever be grateful for Jesus and what He has done for us!

Let us remember Jesus who humbled Himself, made Himself nothing by becoming obedient to death.

(silence of remembrance)

May we ever be grateful for Jesus and what He has done and continues to do for us!

 -Julie Sim, Council for World Mission

Prayer

We pray for the well-being of all creation, and we pray especially for pastors in the world as they offer pastoral care and counselling services to many people, in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

 

Image source: Banal (holy) by Emmanuel Garibay. Courtesy of the artist.