Good Friday

Good Friday, April 18, 2025

Reflection - Pastor Laurie Pfahler, Royersford United Methodist Church

For this, my friends, it is more than appropriate for you to sit with your Bible (If you don’t have a Bible, it’s okay. Just ask your church clergy folks!) and take the time to read this scripture in its entirety, even if you heard it last night in a Maundy Thursday / Tenebrae Service or will hear it again later today in a Good Friday Tenebrae Service.  I’ve broken it up into sections with questions for reflection after each.

 John 18:1-11

Jesus, the human and divine, had put events in motion to fulfill prophecy. When asked by Jesus, “Whom are you looking for?” the large group of men, a mix of soldiers, pharisees, Jewish police, and chief priests said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” When he answered, “I am he,” they stepped back and fell to the ground. The Greek translation for Jesus’ answer is “I AM.” What was going through the minds of those there to arrest him? Why acknowledge his divinity and still arrest him??

John 18:12-18

Caiaphas was said to have advised the Jews that “it was better to have one person die for the people (than a whole nation).” (John 11:45-53) Hearing of his works and raising Lazarus from the dead, the Jewish leadership feared many would follow Jesus and cause the Romans to react with harsher rule and genocide. But how prophetic are his words when it comes to Jesus dying for all of us?

As Jesus is taken to Caiaphas, the Chief High Priest, Peter and another disciple follow as far as the gate of the High Priest’s courtyard. With the help of the other disciple (who was known to the High Priest), they make it through the gate. What do you suppose Peter’s intentions were for being there in the courtyard? What was he feeling the second his denial of knowing Jesus left his lips? Put yourself in Peter’s sandals: name your fears. Name them all…

John 18:19-27

While Peter and the other disciples waited in the courtyard, Jesus had not seen Caiaphas yet, but rather Annas, a lower ranked high priest. Annas tried to get Jesus to say something incriminating about his teachings but could not. He did nothing in secret; all was said and done in public. Not what the priest wanted to hear, Jesus was struck in the face and ask why hit me when I am telling the truth? What is so difficult about hearing truth?

In the darkness of night, they waited for word on what was happening to Jesus. The light from the fire that warmed Peter and others in the courtyard threatened Peter’s safety in the presence of soldiers and the High Priest’s staff. No doubt he stepped back into the darkness to hide the truth. But the light already revealed the truth to Peter. How would Peter interpret that truth? If he were present, how would Jesus, in all his grace and love, interpret that truth for Peter? What is so difficult about hearing truth?

John 18:28-38a

Annoyed, Pilate interviewed Jesus starting with the question, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus’ answer in question form was meant to reveal truth to Pilate about himself. Pilate, in control mode, redirects and flat out asks, “What have you done?” Jesus does not answer but explains he is not a king as per human understanding, and his kingdom was not from “here.” Pilate hears Jesus say “his kingdom” but says nothing about claiming rule over Jews in particular. “So, you ARE a king?” Pilate asks. “A king.” he asks. In his question there was the truth that Pilate was really making a statement for confirmation. And in that truth, Jesus testified to the truth. As you watch Jesus come closer to his hour, what truth about yourself and about Jesus comes forward to you? What is truth?

John 18:38b-19:16a

Pilate found “no case against him.” But politics and desiring to maintain his control over Jerusalem and the Jews found him in want of a way to make the Jews happy, but also putting the decision, the blame to crucify Jesus into their hands. It is heart-breaking that those gathered chose to release a thief and not Jesus. It is also heart-breaking to read of the flogging and mockery Jesus endured. Even with the crown of thorns, as the sharp painful points pierce his head, blood is shed. A crown that reminds one of Abimelech, the would be king of the Jews, represented as the bramble full of thorns. But all that punishment and humiliation was not enough for the Jews. Pilate claimed to have ALL the power. But he did not. Clearly, he had no power over God. And in this case, no power over the Jews. They pushed Pilate to crucify Jesus using political blackmail on him, saying to release someone who claims to be king would be treasonous against the Roman emperor. “Shall I crucify your King?” Pilate asked. The chief priests blasphemed saying, “We have no king but the emperor.” And on the day of Preparation for the Passover, the Lamb of God, was prepared for the slaughter.

John 19:16b-30

Imagine you are there along the street as Jesus struggles to bear his own cross to the place of his death. You’ve followed him to Golgotha and as he bore his own cross, you bear witness to him being stripped; being laid upon the cross; the driving of the nails into his wrists and feet, and his cries of pain; the raising of him and his cross as the blood streams from his body, the pain he feels as his weight pulls on his nailed hands and pushes on his feet, and his tears mingle with the dried blood from the crown of thorns; and, the sign above his head labeling him “King of the Jews.” What do you think of the argument between the priests and Pilate about the sign? What is the difference between it saying, “I am King of the Jews,” and “King of the Jews” to the Jews?... to Pilate? What might have been going on with Pilate??

How do you feel about the soldiers dividing his clothing between them, but then gambling for his tunic/robe? You look at others there and you see Mary, Jesus’ mother with two other women and Jesus’ disciple, whom he loved; and you hear Jesus’ words of love to make sure his mother will be taken care of from this day forward. It would be his last act of human love before his death. How are you feeling having lived this through the eyes of John?

John 19:31-42

The main cause of death on the cross is suffocation. Pushing up on the legs helps those on the cross to breathe more easily, but eventually the legs give out and beathing becomes much more difficult, and they die. Since it was the Sabbath, the Jews needed those on the cross to die before sundown; so, the Jews had the soldiers break their legs to hasten their death. But Jesus had already died, so there was no need to break his. Another part of prophecy fulfilled (Psalm 34:20). In haste, Jesus’ body was prepared as much as they could before sunset and laid the body in an empty, new tomb in a garden.

Extreme reverence was given and at great expense in the wake of such great sadness. Nicodemus, the Pharisee Jesus met in the darkness of night who asked questions and learned from, brought about 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes to prepare the body! And despite the physical abuse to his body, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea did all they could to give Jesus a clean and honorable burial. There was nothing left of the cross that was, just the Temple that held God the Son.

All indications were that Jesus was, in fact, dead. That one Jewish life given instead of a whole nation. That one life given for ALL our sins; given so that the Jews could live; given so that WE could live!

Prayer: God of Grace and God of Glory; we bow to you in humility and awe. Jesus carried so very much on our behalf, Lord. Without him, we would be dead in every sense of the word. Bring us to the new dawn of his light in our lives that will bring the hope of new birth in this very broken world. In his name we pray, Amen.