Honestly we seem have little idea what to do with this strange day we call “Good Friday.” Growing up in England it was always a national holiday. Most, if not all, businesses closed and there was a sense of muted respect even in the lives of those for whom the message of the day was not understood. Coming to live in the US, I was initially struck by the scant attention that was paid to the day, especially by Christians. Some of the more traditional churches offered observant meditations and others held evening events but there was very little to suggest that there was anything to remember on this particular day. Remember what ?
This year, as never before, I have been impacted by the need to remember and grapple with the darkness that was such a stark reality, particularly for that little group of Jesus followers 2000 years ago. As one of them sold him, another denied even knowing Him, and all disappeared fearing for their lives, Jesus walked a lonely and agonizing path.
He endured trials that made a mockery of justice along with mental and physical abuse beyond our imagination only to be nailed on a cross. Why? Because, a few hours before, he had knelt in quiet of the garden of Gethsemane and surrendered to His Father’s plan. It was His decision and from that moment He walked with resolve and purpose into the darkness. Nothing happened by accident. He chose to grasp every moment with both hands.
So how should we, as Jesus followers today, observe Good Friday? We can learn from Peter, impetuous enthusiastic Peter who only opens his mouth to change feet! How heroic was his promise never to leave Jesus’ side but how tragic the paralyzing fear that resulted in him not only leaving him but denying that he even knew Jesus. How excruciating the moment must have been when those eyes, the eyes of his precious friend “ the Lord turned and looked upon Peter and Peter remembered”. The darkness had drawn out and revealed his self-confidence and arrogance. Not to humiliate and crush him, but to restore and heal him so he could become the pillar on which God would build the church. But for now, on the day we now call “Good Friday”, he needed to wait in the darkness and confront the truth.
There is, of course, so much to learn from Jesus. He surrendered to the will of His Father and headed resolutely into the darkness. Things did not get better. They got worse until he would gasp those final words “It is finished”. However it was that absolute trust in his Father that gave Him the strength to proceed with unwavering conviction.
We are blessed to know the next chapter and the joy and victory it brings but we should not rush past Good Friday. I believe we must pause to embrace its darkness and pain. Maybe God has something to call out of us, so that he might bring us healing and transformation. Or perhaps His purpose is to renew our confidence in Him and our perseverance so that, by truly embracing the darkness now we might celebrate an amazing Easter Sunday and be used by Him in significant ways in the future.
From the Zebra Bag 