The story of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ is read aloud on Good Friday every year, in churches throughout the world. This gentle person was arrested, spat upon, stripped and brutally beaten.
The one called the “lamb of God” stood before the crowd wearing a crown of thorns that pierced his head like needles. And then came the final insult, when the crowd was given a choice between releasing Jesus or a murderer.
Did they choose the man who forgave people others condemned and didn’t flinch from lepers? The man who cast out demons from Mary Magdalene and washed the feet of his friends, including Judas? No — they wanted the murderer released and Jesus crucified.
Still, the man who sacrificed his life on the cross earlier had said, “My kingdom isn’t of this world.”
This is a key belief for Christians who face terrible troubles in this life. We struggle with impossible situations that bring us to tears and agonize upon our own crosses — but we keep hopeful eyes on the kingdom of heaven.
Bishop Fulton Sheen wrote, “Unless there is a Good Friday in my life, there will never be an Easter Sunday ... unless there is the crown of thorns there will never be the glorified body ... unless there is the cross, there will never be the empty tomb.”
Christian hope is illuminated in the words Christ spoke from the cross. First, he offered forgiveness to the people who crucified him. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
God will forgive us for ignoring him, using his name in vicious curses, hating our enemies. For breaking the commandments, and assuring ourselves we get a pass. For all the times we’ve denied him like Peter did.
Haven’t many of us avoided admitting we’re Christians? Not wanting to bless the food in public, because people might think we’re weird. Afraid to speak up when someone makes fun of our faith. “I don’t know the man!”
The words from the cross also offer hope to people who find God late in life, even on their deathbeds. Christ was crucified between two thieves, one cursing and mocking him, while the other prayed, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Christ answered the repentant thief’s prayer instantly: “Today, you will be with me in paradise.” This promise reveals God’s mercy given to the lost sheep and prodigal sons of the world.
“It is finished,” Christ said as he died, but the hopeful tale continues, when Mary Magdalene rushes to his tomb three days later. There, she encounters someone she mistakes for the gardener, but when he calls her name softly, she realizes he is Jesus.
Easter is about the hope that sheds light on our darkest moments. It tells of the hope that remains when someone faces a terminal illness.
It speaks of the hope dwelling in the heart of someone old and broken-down. The hope that lives even in the hearts of parents who’ve lost a child.
Christians believe Christ broke through the boundaries of death, so death doesn’t have the final word. And we hope someday to meet the lamb of God in the garden of heaven, where he will gently speak our names.
Lorraine’s email address is lorrainevmurray@yahoo.com.
About the Author
