The Obvious Goodness of God in Comparison to Our Evil - Good Friday
Good Friday
It is hard to imagine what Jesus went through in those last few days before he died and then as he hung there on the cross. We can all relate to his suffering because his suffering encapsulates everything we have and can ever go through. When I think about his torture and death, I can almost feel the pain of my past. Yet, the fact that Jesus’ suffering and death can encapsulate everything any one of us has gone through, reminds us that Jesus’ suffering was so great and inclusive that it is beyond our full comprehension. Yet, it was through that great suffering and death that Jesus took on all the suffering, all the consequences we can ever cause and he put them on Himself so that forever, He would redeem and transform them for our salvation and the glory of God.
You will remember that just last night Jesus prayed that this cup would pass him by. This is the great cup of God’s wrath that all humanity deserves through our selfishness. God in His patience and mercy usually holds back his anger at our destructive ways, but you might remember moments where a few drops of his wrath were poured out, like through the flood of Noah’s ark, or the death of the Egyptian firstborn, or the relentless Babylonian army that conquered Israel and Jerusalem. A moment of this wrath felt world-consuming for those generations. It was this same cup that Jesus would willingly drink every last drop of. We can only imagine the monstrous number and grandeur of evil consequences even one person builds up in their lives, yet here we are talking about the cup of wrath which was overflowing from sin due to billions upon billions of people across generations that were acting again God’s good and beautiful order and creation.
Remember, every time we rebel against God’s order, we give into chaos and let it reign over us and the world, it has only been due to God that this chaos does not take over, drown us, or kill us. Jesus takes on all that chaos and brings it to order by carrying it like no one else every could.
Jesus knows this monstrous consequence is coming and he willingly walks towards it, even if he doesn’t want to. Think how much we avoid even the most basic amount of suffering whether that be physical, emotional, social, or whatever. Think how easily we get afraid of the possibility of suffering and struggle. Yet, here Jesus knew it was coming and he willingly walked toward it. He loved people, served them, and taught them, knowing the whole time that they would betray, abandon, and condemn him. Imagine how much this hurt, how much this was a sacrifice, to serve those whom you know would act like an enemy.
In the garden, his disciples want to fight to protect him, but once they realize they shouldn’t fight physically they run away. They don’t fight the good fight and try to live out God’s order or simply stay by Jesus’ side. Yet, we can’t blame them, we would probably run away too - knowing that we could be brought in as Jesus’ accomplices. In this great moment of sin, they turn away from what is most important to them. Why? Out of fear, confusion, exhaustion - how easily can we turn away from God for these things?
In the high priest’s chambers, the religious leaders who should have been Jesus' greatest allies, who should have been upholding his work, become the ones to drag him in for trial, who don’t actually listen to him, who call scripture blaspheme, who slap and abuse their Messiah, who treat him like a criminal, and who debase prophesy. In this great moment of sin, they turn away from what is most important to them. Why? Out of fear, ego, self-righteousness, willful blindness, desire for power - how easily can we turn away from God for these things?
In Pilate’s courts, the people which included the religious leaders, who were the ones Jesus was trying to save turned against him and sought his condemnation. The Jewish people knew, as they say, that they had no way to condemn Jesus to death - so they bypassed God and went to a foreign governor to get their way. There they create false testimony that never agreed, they argue and they yell crucify him, again and again. They literally turn against God again and again to get their way. They say they have no king but Caesar, they make Jesus out to be a competitor to Caesar, and when given the choice they save a murderous rebel, over an innocent wise, and patient teacher of the faith. Then Pilate who was meant to govern the land, knew Jesus was innocent and yet he willingly condemned him to death. In this great moment of sin, they turn away from what is most important to them. Why? Out of fear, out of a desire for what they want, out of a crowd mentality, from misplaced loyalty, from making something more important than God and His justice - how easily can we turn away from God for these things?
This week we come face to face with a horrible reality. We are offered paradise in a wonderful community at Jesus’ table, we know at least a little of the pain of the cross and yet, we are the ones who turn away from that paradise, from God, and we are the ones who put him on the cross. We condemn the one who came to save us. In this moment, we see who we are without God.
In an interesting turn of events, Jesus’ punishment shows us who he is. As Jesus is judged, he is sat on the judge's seat. You can picture a big outdoor court and a raised stone chair. Jesus is sat down on it as all those below him yell out his condemnation, yet it is Jesus sitting in the judge's seat. He is the one who looks down on us and knows what we deserve.
As Jesus is whipped, he is dressed in a purple robe, given a staff, and a crown of thorns is driven into his scalp. He is brought out tortured and bleeding in royal garb. They look up at him and they would rather rule their own life, they would rather control and give way to their evil, yet, here is Isaiah’s suffering servant, here is that servant king, here is their sacrificial loving God.
As Jesus is forced to carry his cross after being tortured to near death, and he is nailed to that cross and hung beside murderers and rebels for all to see - a sign is hung saying “the king of the Jews”. A few mourn, but most people look up at him and scoff or make fun of him and challenge God, yet the sign speaks the truth and at this moment Jesus takes his throne as he had told the religious leaders, from this moment on you will see the Son of man, sitting at the right hand of God in heaven.
This is a quote from the prophet Daniel. A prophecy about one who would come and defeat the great beasts who threatened to consume the world. Jesus was that one on the cross, but he was more than that. Through all of this, we see God’s throne, we see his kingship, we see his judgment and we see that He is a loving God willing to take on so much for us so that we might be saved from all of our wickedness, brought out of the prisons we create, and given faith instead of fear, life through the pain and loss.
On Good Friday there is this mighty revealing of us and of God. This is important because it shows us that we need another aspect of Good Friday and that is its saving help. We need something and someone to lead us from where we are to where God is. We need something to reconcile us to our king after we have done so much to turn away from the one who wants to guide us to life. We need someone to order our chaos, to redeem our actions, to bring us through the suffering and death we cause.
Today, we can and should mourn what we did, what we do, and what Jesus had to do to save us, but this is also called Good Sunday because we recognize how truly good God is, how truly good this willing sacrifice of Jesus was, and we recognize how this day God is bringing us back into his goodness.
Now in light of that, as we even celebrate this scary day, which shows us the worst of the worst, we can celebrate God’s hand in everything in this world. You are right when you look at the world and see suffering when you see evil when it seems like darkness has fallen and the sun has been blocked out, that is the threat of evil, fear, pride, our will and so much more. Yet, in the midst of us seeing all of that and more on Good Friday, we know what God has done through it. We know what God can and has done through suffering and pain. We know that He is at work even now. God’s goodness and love enter into the brokenness and will transform it. We can trust that, even if it takes time and some work. That is why Paul says we can even rejoice in our suffering. We are not masochists, but we do know what Jesus has done through suffering and we know what he will do through the suffering in us. In Jesus Christ, we see a hope that does not disappoint and in our faithful suffering, it lives in us, as it did in Him. AMEN
