JOHN 18:1 - 19:42
In John’s recounting of the Good Friday story we see Jesus
being taken captive and taken to trial. He tells us that two disciples followed
as Jesus was taken to the house of the high priest. One of these disciples is
identified as Peter but the second one is not named. , at the foot of the
cross, we find Jesus’ mother, his aunt, Mary Magdalene and a disciple
identified only as ‘the one Jesus loved’.
Some experts think that the unnamed disciple in these scenes
might have been the Apostle John.
However, this is not certain and it is also possible that the Holy Spirit,
in guiding the writing of this testimony, had in mind another purpose in
leaving the disciple unidentified. Since this disciple is in the garden when Jesus
is arrested, at his trial and at the cross when Jesus dies he probably witnesses
the whole journey from the Passover meal to the cross and to the tomb.
I invite you to step into the role of this unnamed disciple as
we recall the events of that Holy Week in which our God revealed his awesome love for us.
After sundown you and the other disciples gather with Jesus
for the Passover meal. The motions and
words of the Seder Meal recall the those ancient days when the lord led his
people out of slavery in Egypt. The Passover celebration is intended to
rekindle the feeling of those days so long ago, the feeling of really being set
free, really setting forth on a journey to a promised land.
Jesus’ words add to this feeling and you get this intuition that you are really experiencing
the Passover. Since this is the intent of this liturgy you brush it off as Jesus
invites you to join him for a walk in the garden. You have been here before.
Jesus brought his disciples here often to talk and to pray. But this night the
time in the garden turns into a night of terror. Suddenly soldiers and policemen
appear and move to arrest Jesus. Swords are drawn and blood is spilled. Soon Jesus
is taken away in chains.
You begin to run away! But then you remember that day when
you first met Jesus, the day he called you out of a life of sin, the day he
took your sins away, the day you realized that God loves you, and the day you
became his follower. So you turn back and follow the soldiers and policemen to
the house of the high priest. You know the family of the high priest so you are
able to gain entrance to the hall where the Sanhedrin was meeting. It soon
became clear that this was a trial, the accused is Jesus.
As the testimony proceeds you get the feeling that this is
all wrong, Jesus had committed no crimes, there must be some mistake! At first
you hide in the crowd filled with fear. But again you recall that it was Jesus
that loved you even though you were a sinner and you begin to push your way
forward.
You are thinking that you might offer to take his place.
After all you are the guilty one. Or at least you could correct the false
testimony you had been hearing. As you approach the clerk to ask to be a
witness Jesus catches your eye, he seems to be
asking you to stop. You hesitate and it is too late! The soldiers come
again and now he is to be taken to Pilate the Roman Governor. As you fall back
into the crown you suddenly remember the words of the Prophet Isaiah,
“like a lamb lead to slaughter or a
sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouth. Oppressed
and condemned he was taken away.”
Jesus and the soldiers disappear into the roman fort and
you wait in the large crowd that has congregated outside. After a while the
roman governor appears and says to the religious leaders that he finds no case
against Jesus! You begin to think that maybe the Romans will see that Jesus is
innocent.
By custom the Governor
released a Jewish prisoner at Passover. Now he proposes to release Jesus
and your heart skips a beat! But your heart is wrong, the religious leaders
insist that he release Barabbas, a rebel and murderer, sentenced to death. They
insist that Jesus take Barabas’ place in today’s scheduled executions. Jesus is
taken back into the fort and again you wait.
After a while Jesus is again brought out and he clearly had
been beaten. He was bleeding from his head and back. The governor shouted to
the crowd, “behold your king.” But the religious leader shouted,
“crucify
him - crucify him!”
Soon the whole crowd was shouting,
“crucify
him - crucify him!”
Standing in this crowd you begin to feel as though all of us
are responsible for this. You again recall the words of Isaiah,
“we had all gone astray, like
sheep, each following his own way; but the lord laid upon him the guilt of us
all.”
You begin to sense that he really will die for this crowd
and really die that Barabbas can be set free. Later you will know that he died
for you also, died to pay for your sins, to set you free. Now the soldiers
bring out the others to be executed and the wooden crosses, the racks of
execution which are forced upon the condemned to carry. Again the Governor
stops the proceedings and has a sign nailed to the cross of Jesus that says,
“Jesus,
the Nazarene, the King of the Jews.”
It is written in Hebrew , Latin and Greek. The reality of
this execution will be public and communicated to all.
Now you begin to understand that Jesus is being executed
because of who he is not for what he has done. As you turn away from the
gruesome scene of the soldiers preparing for the execution, you again recall
that day you began to follow Jesus, that day he took away your sins and healed
your guilt.
You also remember all the others you saw healed and forgiven
or told you of their own reconciliation with god. Was it possible that he was
taking them all upon himself? Again you
recall Isaiah’s words,
“Because
he surrendered himself to death and was counted among the wicked; he shall take
away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses.”
You come upon, Jesus’ mother , her sister and Mary Magdalene
and you huddle together waiting for the end. It strikes you that all the world is here to witness
this death. The soldiers sent to be sure it happens for the glory of Rome. The
religious leaders demanding that it happen before sundown.
And here in this huddled little crowd are representatives of
his disciples and his family. There will be no doubt that this man has died.
The soldiers relent in their guard and you are permitted to approach for a
final word with Jesus. He asks you to give his mother a special place in your
heart and your home.
Now it is over, the soldiers make sure the condemned are
dead and you help Nicodemus take down the body of Jesus and carry it to the
tomb. After the burial you go away feeling empty and sad.
We must leave the story now because we know what the unnamed
disciple could not yet know: That on the third day Jesus rose from the dead and
lives with us. This week end we
celebrate this great reality of our hearts.
Jesus died for you and I and Jesus lives!
(c) Joseph E. Hilber, 1997, revised 2013, all rights reserved.
(c) Joseph E. Hilber, 1997, revised 2013, all rights reserved.
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