American Evangelicals often miss the solemn depth of Good Friday. Growing up in a modern Evangelical church, we always celebrated Easter. Yet, it was pretty much Easter all week (or month) long. There was little attention given to any other parts of Holy Week.
This is a common thing. However, it is something we can easily adjust.
Enter Good Friday.
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
55 There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Matthew 27:45–56
Let us not forget. Jesus actually died.
This death was real. His body stopped breathing. The blood pouring out from his hands, side, feet, and head all drained the real life out of him. Jesus was beaten and broken. His body was actually broken. The communion meal is not a causal remembrance of brokenness. The words spoken “This is Christ’s body broken for you” are REFLECTIVE OF HIS ACTUAL AND TRUE BROKENNESS.
Jesus actually died.
There was no life left in him.
Growing up, we often would skip over this day of mourning and pain, knowing the outcome of God’s power on Resurrection Sunday. Let us delay this hope for a short 24 hours.
Good Friday is painful.
Matthew records: “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.”
Crying out with pain and suffering, Jesus dies. He dies in humble submission to the Father knowing the importance of his loving sacrifice.
Take a minute to reflect on the reason Christ had to die for the redemption of humanity.
We are the reason Jesus comes to experience the true pain of death. It was our sins that creates the need for Jesus to show his power and victory over the darkness we created. Jesus dies in order that we may live.
This is why we spend the day in mourning, grief, pain, and reflection.
Let us put off our hope for Sunday. Let us briefly and momentarily step into the shoes of the apostles—guilty, devastated, mourning, and desperate for Jesus to come back. This short practice of mourning will make the good news of Jesus’s resurrection all the sweeter on Sunday.
Just like dessert is all the sweeter after a week of healthy eating, let us mourn today knowing that the comfort we find on Sunday will be all the sweeter following our mourning.
Today, Jesus has died…