Good Friday Devotion – Pastor Brian Hansen
John 19:16b-17 So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew* is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Throughout generations the Church has sought ways to guide us into considering how Jesus’ journey to the Cross really matters for our lives. This year at St. John we will be experiencing Christ’s journey to the Cross through a series of stations/scenes that help us to reflect on Christ’s passion (from the Greek word for “suffering”), as we experience scenes from the last days of his life. ‘ The Stations of the Cross is a liturgical way for us to acknowledge as people of faith that we do not live in the triumph of Easter Sunday. We sometimes struggle on the journey, trying to understand the inequities of life large and small. Sometimes we are misjudged and misunderstood by others. We suffer physical and emotional pain as part of being human. All too often we experience painful endings. Marriages fail, children make destructive decisions, friends betray us and loved ones die. Sometimes the world becomes dark and hopeless, like the world of Good Friday as Jesus journeyed to the Cross. As we journey to the Cross with our Lord, we begin to understand that in Jesus’ sufferings we see our own journey mirrored in his. In Jesus’ journey to the Cross on Good Friday, we see faithfulness in the midst of Passion perseverance in the midst of endings, and courage in the midst of hopelessness. As we trace Jesus’ journey, we take up our own cross, the symbol of our own passion, and bear the imprint of his cross in our own. But in accompanying Jesus on his way to the Cross, we also gain courage to face what comes, and we live in the promise that all endings, become the building blocks of new beginnings. The Stations of the Cross allows us to identify with Jesus as he identifies with us. Prayer: Gracious and loving God, thank you for a love that promises us that not even death will have the power to separate us from you. Be with all who are struggling and guide us each by your Spirit to care for one another in strength and love. AMEN
