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Good Friday : April 13, 2001
“I think I heard Him say as He was a travelin up the hill,
I think I heard Him say, Take my Mother Home,
then I’ll die easy - Take my Mother home.
I think I heard Him say, as they were a raffelin off His clothes,
I think I heard Him say, Take my Mother home.
I think I heard Him say, as they were a nailin in the nails,
I think I heard Him say, Take my Mother home.
I think I heard Him say, as he was a givin up the Ghost,
I think I heard Him say, Take my Mother home,
then I’ll die easy, Take my Mother home.”
*****
As we look up at Mount Calvary, we see the silhouette of three crosses. On the cross on the left, we see a cross where one died.
in sin:
“If you be the Christ, save yourself and us.”
On the cross on the right, we see a cross where one died
to sin:
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
And on the Cross in the middle, we see a cross where one died
for sin:
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
What a stark contrast:
One died in sin -one died to sin - and one died for sin.
*****
There great irony as Jesus hangs on the Cross. For earlier, the two brothers, James & John, had asked Jesus if they could to sit on His right and His left hand when He came into His glory -
for they wanted to participate in His glory.
…..what they did not know and what they did not understand - was
that Jesus considered hanging on the Cross to be His glory…..
to be His time of glorification -
as He was giving up His life for the Salvation of the world.
We are quite sure that this is not at all - what James and John had in mind - when they asked Him that question.
We have come here today to once again recall - and if you will to take time out of our busy lives - to visibly witness that great Drama of Salvation that took place on that first Good Friday.
Hopefully - we have come to stand at the foot of the Cross - to be able to say-
“Yes, we were there when they crucified my Lord.”
However, the real truth is that whether we stand there at the foot of the cross on not - the death of Jesus was so complete - so all encompassing - so completely on behalf of each and every one of us
…..that it was - that it was - as if each of us was there nailed to the Cross - in payment for our own sins
Today reminds us of something that is very unpleasant and even painful to realize - that it was our sins that nailed Jesus to the Cross -
Yes, we would like to blame the Jews or the Romans - however it was all of us - it was our rebellion - it was our willfulness - it was our wanting to do our own thing -
it was because of our disobedience - that Jesus suffered and bore the brunt of our sins.
S. Lewis said that :
“Original sin is the dethronement of God -
and the enthronement of self.”
*****
As we look out on the scene…..
There are the passer-by - the indifferent - then there is the crowd - the joyous crowd on the Sunday before - but it is a crowd now possessed by a mob spirit.
Somehow, crowds get caught up in the frenzy of the moment - it seems that to some people - executions are irresistible. Rather than to cry because one who has come to this sort of end -
…..rather than to feel immense sorrow that one had messed up his wretched life so miserably - many instead relish the event - not to mention that jus possibly - just possibly - what is happening is a great mistake - an unbelievable injustice.
*****
When one goes to Coventry Cathedral and see the old bombed out Cathedral with nothing left but the walls standing - no ceiling and no windows…..it is sad and it is a grim testimony of what happens when we wage war.
Above the remaining stone Altar are tow burned - charred beams forming a black rugged cross - and on the Altar is a Cross of large nails, salvaged from the beams which once upheld the great vaulted roof and ceiling.
Inscribed on the front of the remaining Altar are the words:
“Father Forgive”
When one asks the docent at the Cathedral why didn’t that inscription read - “Father forgive them,” - that is Father forgive all those people for all those horrible things that they did?
The reply always comes back from the people of that Cathedral -
“In war - both sides need the forgiveness of God - for in war -
we both need the forgiveness of one another.”
*****
One cannot begin to know something of the life of Jesus without knowing that He came to:
Show us how to live - That is why the Christian Faith is known as
“The Way”, - the way Jesus lived.
Show us how to treat one another - “A new commandment I give unto you - that you love one another as I have loved you.”
Show us how to die. “Father, into thy hands, I commend my spirit.”
Jesus as He took His last breath - quoted from one of the Psalms - which in reality was a bed time prayer that He cherished even from childhood as did most children.
He taught us to face death with Faith - with courage and with hope.
Have you ever thought about it before? That while Jesus was dying- that instead of thinking about His own skin -
all He thought about was the forgiveness of those who were killing Him? - “Father forgive them…..”
That while dying - He was still greatly concerned about His mother?
“Woman, behold your son” - then He said to John the beloved disciple: “Son - behold thy mother.”
Jesus by His own life - showed us the priorities of life that we must put first:
The concern for the welfare of other people.
Our love and concern for Family.
Our concern to be obedient to God’s will.
All of these - are an example of Holy Dying that Jesus has given us - to be ready - to be prepared - to give thanks for the life and the blessings we have had -
…..and above all to have that glorious hope - that when that time comes for us - as it will surely come for to each and every one of us -
to know and to believe that it will be our Lord Jesus Himself who will greet us and welcome us into that place that He has prepared for us in His Father’s House -
We can look forward to His welcome and His greeting:
“Come you blessed of my Father - receive the Kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
Yes, Jesus has taught us how to live - how to die- and what it means to be obedient to the will of God - and at the time of death - to embrace hope with all of our being.
Story of an English Pastor: Henry Francis Lyte
(a 19th century writer and pastor).
In Brixham, England - there was great dissention and anger in His Church - and mean spirited divisions - he felt great hurt and pain and sorrow - he was in great despair -
as it was the eventide of his life - for he had given his whole life to God in his ministry.
He had the double burden of great despair and seriously failing health.
One evening he slipped quietly into his study and began to read the 24th Chapter of Luke’s Gospel where Jesus is on the Road to Emmaus with two of His followers:
“As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if He were going further. But they urged Him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over. So He went in to stay with them.”
In other words - Jesus Abide with us!
After reading this, he pondered:
“When all else is gone friends - health and even life itself - what else is left?
The answer came to him - Just one thing is left - God!
He pondered: God was the ultimate necessity - for in Holy scriptures God has promised to abide with us always.
He then wrote the following Hymn:
“Abide with me, fast falls the eventide - the darkness deepens - Lord with me abide - when other helpers fail and comforts flee - help of the helpless Lord abide with me.
Hold Thou Thy Cross before my dying eyes - shine through the gloom and point me to the skies - Heaven’s morning breaks and earth’s vain shadows flee - in life - in death O Lord -
Abide with me.”
*****
Helen Kubbler-Ross: asked the question to a group of doctors and medical students:
“How many of you are dying of a terminal sickness?”
Only a few people raised their hands.
“The truth is, “ she said:
“We are all dying of a terminal sickness - it’s called mortality.”
To be sure - to be sure - as we watch at the foot of the Cross -
we begin to learn - we begin to know something of how to face our
own mortality - that day when this life is ended and we are called home.
There is no better day than today to begin to reckon with that time
that event - yes that event for which we were made - to live and
to be with God forever.
Life in this world is only the beginning - for
The best is yet to come.
Yes - for when we savor every bit of life that we can - then there
can be no boredom or monotony or lack of meaning to life.
And when that times comes - we give thanks for the gift of life and then - we say as did Jesus:
“Father into Thy hands I commend my spirit.”
