Holy Week 2022 Day 5: Luke 23: 26-56

Day 5: Luke 23:26-56

“The Crucifixion

26 And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”[b] And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him,[c] “This is the King of the Jews.”

39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,[d] saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The Death of Jesus

44 It was now about the sixth hour,[e] and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,[f] 45 while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.

Jesus Is Buried

50 Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. 54 It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.[g] 55 The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.

On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.”

It’s Good Friday. 

There’s not a lot that can be said about today. Today’s the day that Jesus died; today’s the day that Jesus willingly walked to Calvary and met his fate. It’s a hard pill to swallow, even though we know how the story ends. 

For me, today’s the day to grieve. Every other day, we live in the resurrection of Jesus; every other day, we live in the joy of all that Jesus did and the victory that has been won with a hefty cost. But today is the one day of the year that, with a lens of resurrection hope and victory, we can grieve what happened to Jesus many years ago. Today’s the one day we can beat our chests and remember the way that He suffered for you and me. All my life, I have worn black on this day. All my life, I have been that girl or woman to be weeping in the back. I mean, it’s so sad to see the love of your life die, and Jesus is truly just that: the best friend of your eternity, the friend that made you a brother and sister, the Lord that loves you with an everlasting love.

Many people became without their Lord today many years ago. Many were left without their friend, their brother, and their mentor. Many spirits were broken after seeing their hope mangled, hanging on a a cross and bleeding to death. Many lost hope for a future. They experienced soul crushing grief— the kind that knocks the wind out of them and wipes them out until they were splayed all over the floor. Real grief. 

And yet this grief is a grief that chooses to bring our sadness and our broken hearts to the Father, even as we know that the battle is already won. I believe this grief can inform the many seasons of grief and loss that we encounter in our own lives. Even though we know that Jesus has won it all, we can still be broken over what he experienced that day, and even though we are grieving, we can never forget the battle has already been won. Jesus knows what that’s like. Even though Lazarus would be resurrected, Jesus still wept. He was angry that Mary was hurt. He was mad that death could do this to a family he loved dearly. He knew he would resurrect Lazarus himself, but still wept for him.

Good Friday informs our grief. It reminds us of the victory that was won, even in the midst of what seemed like crushing defeat. And it reminds me of hope, even in situations where it seems like all hope is lost. And today is the day that we anticipate our hope, not in people or situations, but in the cross, the very icon of today’s despair. On the cross, even in what seems like death, life is won, once and for all. And in this grief, the cross, the sign of capital punishment, becomes our living hope.

What kind of situation do you feel like is hopeless today? What are you grieving? May we walk with Jesus back to Golgotha, relive His final moments, and be filled with a posture of resurrection hope again. May we we meditate, grieve, and have hope for resurrection, all in one go. May we sit in the depth of his love demonstrated in his final moments, and allow His love to fill our hearts with a fresh fire to follow Him. 

Happy Good Friday.