Skip to main content

Good Friday

Image
By
Read John 18.1 – 19.30

The word ‘Finished’ is double-edged. I grew up in a house at the bottom of a long cul-de-sac - but I hardly ever went to the top of it, because there was no reason to do so; the end of the cul-de-sac was a ‘nothing’ place to me. A finish can be like that, a dead end with no place else to go. Perhaps Jesus death is no more than that, like the full stop at the end of this sentence. But we can also understand a finish in a different way - as an accomplishment or as a fulfilment, with all its sense of being made whole. 

So, what is it that, in Jesus’ words, is finished? Is it an end to the suffering on the cross and the extinguishing of life in the body of Jesus? Or is it a reference not just to the passion but to the whole ministry and mission of Christ, now made complete? It is both of these things - but also something more. For surely, in John’s gospel, that cry of ‘It is finished,’ tells of the glorification of Jesus, the lifting up of the Christ, the full revelation of God’s love - a moment which speaks as much of resurrection as of dying, and of hope as much as suffering.

Prayer: Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it to be the way of life and peace; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Christmas Day Worship 2021

By
Today is the day - Christmas! The central candle is lit. The waiting is over. The child is born. As we celebrate the Feast and Holy-Day of Christmas, with the Psalmist (Ps. 98:4-6) we proclaim: Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn – shout for joy before the LORD, the King. Prayer Let us pray: Generous God, even as we praise you for the good news of today, and seek to shout for joy at the coming of the Christ-child, we acknowledge Mary’s mix of pain and joy, both today and in the days to come. As we do so, we face our own emotions on this difficult and delightful day, and ask your help to live it well. Amen. Carol You might like to sing, or reflect on the words of Geoffrey Ainger’s hymn at StF 193/H&P 95, Born in the night, Mary’s child, a long way from your home; coming in need, Mary’s child, born in a borro...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pastoral Letter - 9 December 2021

By
Dear friends We have been through a lot together over this last 18 months since the pandemic first started, as households, as communities and as the people of the church. At times we have struggled, but we have also recognised the support we can offer one another in times of adversity. When things have been far from normal, we have adapted in new ways to continue the life and mission of the church. In the face of great hurt and great need, we have found the value of faith and hope. Since the summer we have seen signs of hope in the re-opening of buildings and the re-starting of some of our church and community groups. However, recent news of a new variant of the virus has once again raised the level of concern. Clearly, the pandemic is not yet over. Consequently, as I am sure you are already aware, the government has decided that there is a need for greater restrictions to be in place once again - see detailed guidance  dated 8th December. In the light of this, the Methodist Church...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Column - January 2022

By
The turn of the year As a new year approaches we tend to wonder what lies ahead, hoping always to shake off the past’s bad record and for something better to come, as if hoping could make it so. We wonder about next year because of course we don’t know what lies around the corner (however great the store of human knowledge, and however thorough our Googling). Search as we may, and it’s a royal honour to do so (Prov 25:2), some things are known only to God: times and seasons fixed by his authority are not for us to know (Acts 1:7), for the future is his. This is a time to remind ourselves of God’s omniscience: he does know (Rom 11:33). He knows the plans he has for us – plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future (Jer 29:11). And it’s time to remember also that God is not far-off and aloof, but a loving, heavenly Father who wants a close living relationship with each of us, day by day and breath by breath – he sent Jesus to bring us back to him. So ...
Post a Comment
Read more