The Son of God did everything He said, everything He promised
Reflections on the readings for Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion (April 19, 2019): IS 52:13—53:12; PS 31:2,6,12-13,15-16,17,25; HEB 4:14-16; 5:7-9; JN 18:1—19:42
MISSIO offers “Preaching Mission,” as a homily help, providing connections to mission from the readings of Sundays, Feast Days and Holy Days.
And so we have arrived at Good Friday, when we look back on the day Jesus died.
We look back through the readings, particularly the Gospel, to all that happened to our Lord on that day almost two thousand years ago. But we also think about all that brought us to Calvary. We contemplate our own sins and sins of the world. We consider how even when God’s cherished people turned against Him through pride and self-centeredness, He offered the only way out of eternal death. He offered His Son. “So they took Jesus, and, carrying the cross Himself, He went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle” (John 19:16-18).
Even as He hung nailed to a cross, surrounded by a crowd that was hostile, bullying, oblivious to what they saw, our Savior saw a few faithful loved ones. Among the heartbroken women was His mother and, even in His intense suffering, Jesus spoke and gave her into the care of His Apostle John. And to Mary, He gave John – and all of us, His beloved children. Soon after, Christ knew that He had accomplished His mission and He died. So we look back to that day that was Good for us, for all people, because the Son of God gave His life for each of ours. Now, believing in Him, we have hope for heaven. Because God loved us when He created us and never stopped loving us – and never will.
