Today is Good Friday of Holy Week.


Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”  

Assist me mercifully with your help, O Lord God of our salvation, that I may enter with joy upon the contemplation of those mighty acts, whereby you have given us life and immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John, chapter 16.


Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle. 
Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” 
Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” 
When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 
“Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” 
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, 
“They divided my clothes among them 
    and cast lots for my garment.” 
So this is what the soldiers did. 
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

I’ve been watching the whole time. I was there watching Pilate wring his hands over what to do with him. Watching the soldiers beat him, mock him, spit on him. And with every blow he took I felt was a gut punch to me too. I’m sick to my stomach. All day my heart’s been pounding and head spinning so fast, I hardly know up from down. I'm watching him lose his life and I’m afraid for my life? But somehow, for some reason, I’m still here. Looking up at him. He’s almost unrecognizable to me.
 
Jesus’s head is moving now, he’s looking to see who remains there at the cross, with him. The unrecognizable one is straining to recognize someone. I see him lock eyes with his mother, Mary. I knew she was here, just a few yards away but hadn’t really seen her, really looked at her. Lots of people have cleared out now. But Mary’s still here, and her sister, and Clopas’ wife. And Mary Magdalene, too. And they’re holding on to each other. I can tell they wish they could hold on to him. I don’t see the other disciples, though. Where are they?

And now Jesus sees me too. The one he loves. I see him look at me again with those eyes. I actually can’t believe that he still sees me, but he does. And he does the unthinkable, he speaks to me. And to his mother. First to her, “Woman this is your son.” He’s talking about me. Looks over to me. And then he says, “Here is your mother.” And in this unexpected moment, everything changes for me. In hearing this last wish, this last will, I know what his will is for me. I know to whom I belong, and I know what I am to do. And right now, that’s all I need. 

Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that I, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.