Good Friday 2024

This is the day God died. Good Friday is like the ultimate plot twist in history. I mean, picture it: the day when everyone, the powers of the world and the powers of evil, ganged up to take down Jesus Christ, who was basically God in human form. But get this: It turns out it was all part of God’s master plan from the beginning of time.

¹⁸ There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. ¹⁹ Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” ²⁰ Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. ²¹ So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’, but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” ²² Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

²³ When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic.^[c] But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, ²⁴ so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfil the Scripture which says,

“They divided my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.”

So the soldiers did these things, 

²⁵ but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” ²⁷ Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

²⁸ After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the Scripture), “I thirst.” ²⁹ A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. ³⁰ When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished”, and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

John 19:18-30 ESVUK

Jesus is our example

When you imagine a king, what pops into your mind? Now picture a servant. They’re like night and day, right? That’s why it’s absolutely bonkers to wrap your head around the idea that the King of heaven would take on the role of a servant for everyone. Jesus being a king isn’t about strutting around with a big ego, but it’s like the ultimate masterclass in being humble. Let’s dive into the terms pride and humility.

Pride

Pride is when we put ourselves first, when we think we can do it by ourselves. It includes when we help someone when we are not very good at the task but know someone good at it. Wanting people to see how good you are is a sign of pride.

Humility

In brief, humility is about embracing a proper understanding of ourselves, recognizing the greatness of God, and acknowledging the value of others. It shines through when we prioritize the needs of others and when we are aware of our own strengths and limitations.

The act of Jesus relinquishing his position in heaven to serve and ultimately sacrifice himself for all people, particularly those considered the least worthy, stands as the ultimate demonstration of humility.

Jesus is our teacher

I started this post with a quote from the Gospel of St John. In the first part I referred to the accounts from the synoptic Gospels and from Philippians Chapter 2. The reason for this is that in John’s Gospel the crucifixion is not seen as a defeat but as the coronation of Jesus the Son of God as King. Praise the Lord, even when things seem to be going cross-shaped!

Yes. in John’s Gospel Jesus’ passion is also Jesus’ coronation:
The crown of thorns (19:5),
The inscription above the cross (vv. 19-22),
The seamless tunic (vv. 23-24),
Jesus’ mother and the Beloved Disciple (vv.25-27),
and Jesus’ last words (19:28-30).
All these point to Jesus defeating Satan and being crowned King.

There is yet to be fully realised, but in John’s account that will come at the resurrection. That will be looked at in my Easter Sunday post.

The Godhead and humanity intertwined

There were three enemies defeated on the cross.

The world existed at the beginning. John, in his Gospel, is eager to portray those who fear exposure to the light as enemies of God, sometimes referred to as the world, sometimes referred to as the Jews. It’s important to note that John is not expressing anti-Semitic sentiments; he also identifies this struggle with the Roman authorities.

The second target is Satan. Satan now has no power, he has been fully and finally defeated by Jesus on the cross.

The third is human nature, often called the flesh in scripture.

To overcome these obstacles, it required a remarkable individual – someone embodying a fusion of humanity and divinity so intricate that it defies categorization. We are perpetually confronted with a being who is simultaneously human and divine, with no clear distinction between the two. Jesus, the embodiment of God in human form, represents a seamless blend of the divine and the mortal, uniquely equipped to fulfill this extraordinary role.

---

Incarnation – Epiphany – The baptism of Jesus – Temptation – Good Friday – Easter – Ascension – Pentecost – Trinity – The Return (advent 2024)