Love Crucified

Good Friday Love Crucified

By Rev. Julie Sim, Mission Secretary – East Asia and South Asia, Council for World Mission (CWM)

Psalm 22

One song that has often gripped my heart is this: “Were you there?” It has three stanzas that describe the crucifixion, the death and the burial of Jesus. Each stanza guides and helps worshippers remember the excruciating pain and suffering of Jesus on the cross: Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? The words of the song aptly describe the whole mood of Good Friday. It causes us to pause and wonder at the great love of God for all people. – Love crucified.

Today we are invited back to remember the final moments as Jesus breathes his last. We let the words of the scriptures grip our hearts and evoke our emotions as we ponder at Jesus’ last moments– that lonely, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, lips dry, throat parched, brow bleeding from thorn-pricks, shunned and forsaken for our sake. – Love crucified.

On the cross, Jesus laid aside his immunity to pain and suffering. Jesus entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and pain. Psalm 22 ends with a Hebrew verb that has no object ‘ā-sāh “he has done” which can also be translated as “it is finished”. Jesus came to give himself to us, for us. And he did not stop giving until “It is finished.” – Love crucified.

Let us remember Jesus

who did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage. (silence of remembrance) May we ever be grateful for Jesus and what He has done for us!

Let us remember Jesus

who prayed for the forgiveness of those who denied, rejected and crucified Him. (silence of remembrance) May we ever be grateful for Jesus and what He has done for us!

Let us remember Jesus

who humbled Himself, made Himself nothing by becoming obedient to death. (silence of remembrance) May we ever be grateful for Jesus and what He has done and continues to do for us!

Prayer

We pray for peace, justice and reconciliation for all innocent victims in war-torn countries in the world. May God’s peace be a source of strength and comfort for all persons when they experience the painful moments. May God bring hope and restoration to our human family and that all violence, conflicts and destruction be brought to a just end.