A Good Friday Meditation

  

Throughout the New Testament the crucifixion of Jesus is narrated with the utmost restraint and objectivity. There is no intention to exploit its savagery either to sensationalize His death or to evoke sentimentality. Nothing man did that day achieved our salvation; rather it revealed man's cruelty and fulfilled Scripture.

The Holy Spirit inspired the New Testament writers to focus on what made Jesus' death unique – who it was who died, what He endured at God’s hand and His victory over the evil one. This meditation follows the Holy Spirit's example and concentrates on the glory of Christ's person and the nature of His spiritual suffering.

Gethsemane – the Agony

After Jesus celebrated Passover with His disciples, they sang a hymn together before stepping out into the night. Crossing the Kidron Valley they reached the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives and entered Gethsemane, an olive grove where Jesus often met with His disciples. Jesus took Peter, James and John away from the others. He began to be deeply distressed and troubled, telling them “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mark 14:33-34). Going a little further He fell with His face to the ground and prayed “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will”. (Matthew 26:39) An angel appeared and strengthened Him. Being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Jesus rose from prayer, returned to His disciples and found them asleep, exhausted with sorrow. Twice Jesus left them to pray as before and both times returned to find them asleep. “Are you still sleeping?” He asked. “Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” (Mark 14: 41-42).

Nothing in all Scripture compares to Jesus' agony in Gethsemane. According to Mark the decision to submit to the Father's will causes Jesus greater internal suffering than the physical crucifixion on Golgotha. Jesus came “to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Here He pays the first part: to will to become the sin bearer for humanity. As a consequence He will experience a darkness and abandonment of cosmic proportions. The prospect of identifying with sinners so fully that He endures God's righteous wrath against their sin – this is what overwhelms His soul to the point of death. Never for a moment rebelling, Jesus nevertheless shrinks from the spiritual agony of enduring God's judgment that our sins deserved. Jesus' prayer is an intense struggle with the frightful reality of God's will and what it will mean to submit to it.

Jesus is not deflected by self-will.

'There in the garden of tears my heavy load He chose to bear;

His heart with sorrow was torn, 'Yet not my will but yours,' He said.

This is our God, the Servant King, He calls us now to worship Him,

To bring our lives as a daily offering of worship to the Servant King.'

Gethsemane – the Arrest

From the garden, lighting up the darkness, Jesus and His disciples could see torches and lanterns carried by a crowd coming towards them. Sent by the chief priests and guided by Judas, it included a detachment of soldiers armed with swords and clubs. “Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to Him, went out and asked them, 'Who is it you want?' 'Jesus of Nazareth' they replied. 'I am he' Jesus said ... When Jesus said that they drew back and fell to the ground” (John 18: 4-6). Jesus tells the crowd that if they are looking for Him they should let His followers go (John 18:8). After the crowd had recovered, Judas moved forward and betrayed Jesus with a kiss. When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen they asked, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” (Luke 22:49). Then Peter drew a sword and cut off the high priest's servant's right ear. But Jesus replied, “No more of this!” (Luke 22:51) and healed the servant's ear. Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away. Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me? (John 18:11) Do you not think I cannot call on my Father and he will put at my disposal twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled? (Matthew 26:53-54). Jesus addressed the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? ... But this is your hour – when darkness reigns.” (Luke 22: 52-53). The soldiers moved forward, seized Jesus and led Him away. Then everyone deserted Him and fled (Mark 14:50).

Jesus “is the radiance of God's glory” (Hebrews 1:3) and it shines out in this incident. Notice

   His majesty – His captors fell to the ground (John 18:6)

   His love – He interposed Himself between His captors and His disciples (John 18:8)

   His meekness – He accepted His traitor's kiss (Luke 22:48)

   His power – He healed the servant's ear (Luke 22:49-50)

   His devotion –He vindicated His Father's will (Matthew 26:53-54; John 18:11)

   His patience – He accepted being forsaken by His disciples (Matthew 26:56).

Jesus proceeds to Golgotha, not compelled by man, but in a calm dignity, resolved to please His Father.

Jesus is not deterred by suffering.

'Meekness and majesty, manhood and deity,

in perfect harmony, the man who is God:

Lord of eternity dwells in humanity ...

bow down and worship, this is our God.'

Golgotha – the Curse

Paul states in Galatians 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law”. From Genesis 3:16-19 we learn that the consequences for man of the curse of a broken law were thorns, sweat, pain and death. The external evidence was seen in Jesus in the thorns with which He was crowned, the sweat of His agony, the pain of His suffering and in the seeming weakness of His death. The curse of the law is the judgment of God which His law declares on lawbreakers. But Jesus committed no sin (1 Peter 2:22) in Him is no sin (1 John 3:5) and He knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). He alone does not justly deserve the curse of the law. Yet He lovingly endured the divine curse that sinners might be released from it. “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all ... the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him” (Isaiah 53: 5-6).

Jesus is not denigrated by shame.

'Death and the curse were in our cup: O Christ 'twas full for Thee!

But Thou hast drained the last dark drop 'tis empty now for me:

That bitter cup, love drank it up, now blessings draught for me.'

Golgotha – the Cry

From the sixth until the ninth hour darkness came over the whole land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice: 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' (Mark 15:34). The darkness that enveloped Jesus was eclipsed by the darkness of His cry to God. It captures the hidden meaning and spiritual reality of the cross. Rejected and despised by Israel, sacrificed as a political pawn by Rome, abandoned and denied by His own disciples, Jesus is wholly forsaken and exposed to the horror of God's judgment on humanity's sin. Earlier, in the Upper Room, Jesus had said, “You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me” (John 16:32).

But now, on the cross, Jesus is bearing our sins, and God, whose eyes are too pure to look on evil (Habakkuk 1:13) turns His face away. Jesus experiences, for the first and only time, His communion broken with His Father God, and this draws from Him the agonizing cry. However Jesus' faith does not waver – He claims the right to call God His own (My God) in spite of what He had endured. God answered Jesus' cry with the torn temple curtain, an earthquake and the raising of holy people to life who went into the holy city and appeared to many (Matthew 27:51-53).

'How deep the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure,

that he should give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure.

How great the pain of searing loss, the Father turns His face away,

as wounds which mark the Chosen One bring many sons to glory.'

Jesus is not destroyed by separation.

A Roman centurion witnessed the passion and death of Jesus. He is the first person after the death of Jesus, who, by divine revelation, acknowledged Jesus' deity. As a climax to his Gospel, Mark noted his confession: “When the centurion heard Jesus' cry and saw how he died, he said, 'Surely this Man was the Son of God' “ (Mark 15:39).

May we share his confession and worship this One along with Thomas who, after Jesus' resurrection, acknowledged Jesus as his Lord and God (John 20:28).

A Brief Introduction to Colin

  

I was born into a Christian family and made a decision for Christ at 9 years of age, the final link used by God being the Billy Graham film, Oil-town USA. At the church where my family worshipped in Staines, Surrey, in the south of the United Kindom, I met my future wife, Yvonne; we were married in 1969.

We decided to foster children short-term and within 3 years we were allowed to adopt the first child placed with us - our daughter, Carol. Over a 26-year period I was employed by two companies as a Cost Accountant. After both 13-year stints I was made redundant and after the second we prayerfully decided to move to Bournemouth.

   

We have both been enabled by the Lord to serve in various roles over the years in the churches where we have worshipped. Yvonne has led a Playgroup and taught young children for nearly 50 years and I have led children's work and Home Groups and served as Treasurer, Deacon and Elder.

For nearly 6 years now we have worshipped at Boscombe Baptist Church in Bournemouth, a flourishing seaside resort on the South Coast of England, and more recently I have been accepted as an elder, joining our dear friend, Denis Wheadon, the creator of this website!

I enjoy classical music and poetry (especially George Herbert and John Donne) and reading British history. I also enjoy reading Christian biography, Church history and Biblical Theology. I have been greatly helped over the years by the writings of  F. F. Bruce, John Stott, Jim Packer and Leon Morris, among many others.

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