Meditation 261
John 19: 23-30
Today is the day that we remember that Jesus was crucified. He was put to death in a way that that was reserved for political or religious agitators, pirates, slaves, or those who had no civil rights. Crucifixion was more than a punishment for wrong doing, it was a way to humiliate and cause extreme suffering for the accused.
As Jesus was on the cross some of his followers were standing nearby. We know that his mother Mary was there, as well as his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas , Mary Magdalene, and the beloved disciple (who is understood to be John.) These faithful ones are there to be with Jesus until the end, even though it was potentially dangerous for them. They could have been accused of being in league with Jesus who was charged with being a political agitator, and they could have been arrested themselves. These followers of Jesus were devoted to him, his love had transformed them, and they had the courage to be identified as those who loved and served Jesus.
Even though Jesus was in agony, he still was concerned for others, and at the end of his life, when he saw his mother, he was concerned to be sure that she had a protector. In that day, a woman was under the protection and care of her closest male relative. Jesus was not going to leave it to chance as to who would care for h is mother. As the eldest son was giving his mother to the care of the beloved disciple, thereby showing great compassion for each. Jesus said “here is your son” and “Here is your mother” to Mary and the beloved disciple respectively, and those who were nearby would have herd in that care for his mother and affirmation of the role of the beloved disciples.
Jesus then said he was thirsty, he was given sour wine, and then he said “it is finished” and gave up his spirit. Those words are so final. He gave up his spirit. Today, if you go to a worship service, this is where it will end. Jesus had died and he was taken down from the cross and laid in a tomb. It was a sad and lonely time.
The disciples would have been bereft. Jesus was the one that they thought would be the leader of Israel, but here he was laid in a tomb. We know that the story does not end here. We know that it will be three days and Jesus will be alive again. There are times and occasions in our lives when it feels as if something has died. We may have lost a loved one, we may have lost a relationship. We are overcome by the sadness and lostness and it seems as if there is no tomorrow. When we are in such a place, we can know that others have been here too. And we can know that Jesus will walk with us in that path. Jesus was/is so loving that in his last hours he cared for his mother, and he cares for us too.
Good Friday is a somber day, it is a day when Jesus breathed his last, but it is not the end.