Good Friday of Holy Week
REDISCOVERING HIS LOVE: THE WOUNDS OF JESUS, HIS HEAD*
(Isaiah 50:6)
Objective: A communion meditation for Good Friday of Holy Week, part 4 of a 4 part series on “Rediscovering His Love: The Wounds of Jesus.”
Good Friday Prayer on Christ’s Passion
O crucified Jesus, Son of the Father, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, eternal Word of God,
We worship you.
O crucified Jesus, holy temple of God, dwelling place of the Most High, gate of heaven, burning flame of love,
We worship you.
O crucified Jesus, ruler of every heart, in you are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, in you dwells all the fullness of the Godhead,
We worship you.
Jesus, lamb of God,
Have mercy on us,
Jesus, bearer of our sins,
Have mercy on us,
Jesus, redeemer of the world,
Grant us peace.
Almighty God, look with mercy on your family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed and to be given over to the hands of sinners and to suffer death on the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, now and forever.
Amen.
“I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.” (Isaiah 50:6)
Have you ever been hit in the nose? Nothing stuns you quite like being punched square in the schnauz! I have had very few fist fights in my life but I did have a few in Junior High School. Once I was hit in the nose and that was it – I was done. TKO. I never felt as vulnerable as I did at that moment. My head was swooning and I could not get my bearings. I still remember it – it was enough to bring my adolescent pugilistic ambitions to an end.
Whether you’ve been hit in the nose by a ball, a sibling, a fist fight or some accident there’s a good chance you remember it.
Have you ever paid much attention to how many assaults were inflicted directly to Jesus’ head? Some were more violent than others but all are included in his suffering.
1. The kiss of betrayal
o Mark 14:44-45 -- 44 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” 45 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him.
2. Spit of contempt in his face (twice)
o Contrast this with Jesus use of spittle to heal (Mark 8:22-26)
o Mark 14:64-65 … They all condemned him as worthy of death. 65 Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.
o Mark 16:19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.
3. The torture of being blindfolded
o Blindfolding (a way of blinding) is used today in torture. It disorients. It exacerbates the fear. Makes them completely vulnerable and defenseless. It degrades. It is rightly called “torture.”
o Mark 14:64-65 … They all condemned him as worthy of death. 65 Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.
4. The struck him with their fists.
o There is not always rationale given as to why they hit him. That is the nature of evil. It simply humiliates and is sheer / mere violence.
o Mark 14:64-65 … They all condemned him as worthy of death. 65 Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.
5. They also slapped him.
o Slapping someone is a sign of derision and contempt. It, too, is intended to be humiliating and show one’s defenselessness.
o Matthew 26:67 -- Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him.
6. Plucked out his beard
o Isaiah 50:6 “I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.”
7. The crowning of thorns
o John 19:2-3 “2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they struck him in the face.”
8. Offered him a drink of sour wine
o Have you ever taken a sip of vinegar? It’s not pleasant!
o Luke 23:36 “36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar”
9. Hit hit him in the head with a staff (think "club")
o Mark 14:64-65 … They all condemned him as worthy of death. 65 Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.
That list partially describes the horrific assault Jesus Christ went through at the hands of hate and violence in order to bring about my pardon. That list alone is sufficient for me to be overwhelmed by the depths of his love.
In a painting of the Crucifixion by the famous Dutch artist, Rembrandt, our attention is drawn immediately to the cross and to Him who hangs there. Then looking at the crowd gathered around the Cross, we note the attitudes and actions of these people. As our eyes drift to the edge of the picture, we see another figure in the shadows. This is Rembrandt himself. Rembrandt, helping to crucify Jesus! How true that is according to Isaiah 53:5 (KJV)- “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.”
‘Twas I that shed the sacred blood,
I nailed Him to the tree,
I crucified the Christ of God,
I joined the mockery!
(Horatius Bonar, 1856)
I look again and there in the shadows next to Rembrandt I stand.
(Thanks to Pastor Kim Huffman of Goshen {Indiana} Christian Church for this illustration)
WRAP-UP
While on the cross Jesus was the fulfillment and the example of Scripture. Earlier, he called God’s people to be the light of the world like a city set on a hill. We are to point people to God by turning the other cheek, going the second mile, not resisting persecution or people who take all we’ve got. Then, with those challenges from the Sermon on the Mount ringing in our ears, we see the Son of Man’s story coming to a violent conclusion. Therein we discover Jesus turning the other cheek, not resisting persecution, picking up His cross and going the extra mile, and being set upon a hill unable to be hidden. (Special thanks to N.T. Wright’s book , “Evil and the Justice of God, ” Page 85).
In his book, “Evil and the Justice of God” N.T. Wright pens these descriptive words about the crucifixion:
Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus for burial; Simon of Cyrene carries the cross; Barabbas goes free; one brigand curses; the other repents; bystanders mock, soldiers gamble, and a centurion stops for a moment in his tracks. Jesus on the cross towers over the whole scene … as YHWH in person, as the point where the evil of the world does all that it can. Jesus suffers the full consequences of evil; evil from the political, social, cultural, personal, moral, religious, and spiritual angles all rolled into one; evil in the downward spiral hurtling toward the pit of destruction and despair. And he does so precisely as the act of redemption, of taking that downward fall and exhausting it, so that there may be new creation, new covenant, forgiveness, freedom, and hope. (p. 92)
On Good Friday the words that Jesus spoke in the upper room are spoken by the Godhead on the cross, “This is my body which is broken for you.” (Ibid, p. 97)
As we receive communion this evening we do so with a great sense of gratitude and indebtedness. We do so as an act of proclamation of our Savior’s love.
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PRAYER ON THE SEVEN WORDS
(Provided by reformedworship.org)
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Almighty God, to whom your crucified Son prayed for the forgiveness of those who did not know what they were doing, grant that we, too, may be included in that prayer. Whether we sin out of ignorance or intention, be merciful to us and grant us your acceptance and peace: in the name of Jesus Christ, our suffering Savior. Amen.
"Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
O Lord Jesus Christ, who promised to the repentant the joy of paradise, enable us by the Holy Spirit to repent and to receive your grace in this world and in the world to come. Amen.
"Woman, behold your son . . . Behold your mother."
O Blessed Savior, who in your hour of greatest suffering expressed compassion for your mother and made arrangements for her care, grant that we who seek to follow your example may show our concern for the needs of others, reaching out to provide for those who suffer in our human family. Hear this our prayer for your mercy’s sake. Amen.
"My God! My God! Why hast thou forsaken me?"
O Lord, we pray for our brothers and sisters who, in their darkest hour, feel forsaken and alone. We also pray for those imprisoned and persecuted for your name’s sake. We ask you to draw near to them and to give them joy, peace, and strength. Amen.
"I thirst."
O blessed Savior, whose lips were dry and whose throat was parched, grant us the water of life that we who thirst after righteousness may find it quenched by your love and mercy, leading us to bring this same relief to others. Amen.
"It is finished."
O Lord Jesus Christ, who finished the work that you were sent to do, enable us by your Holy Spirit to be faithful to our call. Grant us strength to bear our crosses and endure our sufferings, even unto death. Enable us to live and love so faithfully that we also become good news to the world, joining your witness, O Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."
Father, into whose hands your Son Jesus Christ commended his spirit, grant that we, too, following his example, may in all of life and at the moment of our death entrust our lives into your faithful hands of love. In the name of Jesus who gave his life for us all. Amen.
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* Special thanks to Christina Baxter’s Book, “The Wounds of Jesus” for the meditation idea and some of its content.
This meditation is provided by Dr. Kenneth Pell
Potsdam Church of the Nazarene
Potsdam, New York
www.potsdam-naz.org
