GOOD FRIDAY

(Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Psalm 31(30); Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42)

Theme: His Crucifixion and Glory - A Foundation of Hope

Good Friday’s readings about Jesus Christ's passion and death remind us that in our darkest moments, God is present and active; He quietly turns our weaknesses and suffering into opportunities for His glory. Indeed, those who stay in Him are glorified.

This understanding of suffering is connected to the suffering of our Lord Jesus, foreshadowed in the pains of the Suffering Servant in the first reading from the Prophet Isaiah and recorded in the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The passion narratives of these Gospels testify to what the Lord does with a broken but willing heart: how He mends its brokenness, reshapes it for anointing, and cares for it, lifting it towards holiness.

This elevating essence of suffering was aptly described in John’s account of the Lord’s Passion and Death. After examining the accounts in the Synoptic Gospels, Evangelist John chose to emphasize less our Lord Jesus’ human expressions of abandonment and fear and more the purifying essence of His Passion, His triumph, and His glory upon the Cross.

In other words, John’s Good Friday account of the Lord’s passion and death highlights not only our Lord Jesus’ fears, feelings of abandonment, and suffering but also provides an inspiring narrative of life lessons from the true Lamb of God, whose blood cleansed our sins and fulfilled the Father's work for our redemption.

Therefore, we can conclude that those who seek the Lord’s merciful love will not be forgotten in times of trouble. For the One whose Cross became His glory – a visible reflection of His self-emptying love and a testament to His faithfulness – can transform our sufferings and life’s difficulties if, as the Psalmist says, we flee to, trust in Him and remain in His love.

For Evangelist John, the crucifixion and glorification of our Lord Jesus were one event in His life, revealed as He hung on the cross. Therefore, just as it happened for our Lord Jesus, healing and salvation would evolve through our sufferings if we remain in His love.

Thus, Good Friday reveals the power of the compassionate, true High Priest who never abandons those in His love during sickness, suffering, or trials. Therefore, anyone who calls on His name will not be denied His deliverance and comfort, whether in this life or the next. We must learn to believe and trust that the One who fulfilled the Father’s will, crucified and glorified on the throne of the Cross, will surely perfect our services, joy, success, and happiness. Let us remain in His love, for those days of pain will pass.