Friday 10 April 2009
- Bible Book:
- John
"When Jesus had received the wine, he said, 'It is finished.' Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." (v.30)
Background
Today is Good Friday - the day when the 'hour of glory' is come.John, in his account of the death of Jesus, goes out of his way tostress the real humanity and the real suffering of Jesus.
In equal measure, he brings his readers face to face with Jesus'triumph. Out of the four Gospels, it is only the Gospel of Johnthat tells us that Jesus said "It is finished" - the other threereport that he died with a great shout (
Jesus died with a shout of triumph on his lips. He did not say thewords in weary defeat; but as a shout of joy because the victorywas won. He seemed to be broken on the Cross, but he knew that thiswas a triumphant ending. For Jesus, the strife was now over.
Today we see John's account of the death of Jesus. Jesus was thegreat Passover Lamb of God, who felt real pain, suffering, and evendeath on the Cross. John makes it clear that if Jesus was ever toredeem humanity, he had to become human and suffer as wesuffer.
The hour of his glory has arrived with a triumphant ending!
To Ponder
None of us like to suffer, yet suffering is areality of life. In what ways can our suffering unite us withothers in ways that we do not expect?
What do you think of the view that death is apassage from this human life to a renewed and glorified presencewith Christ?
What is the meaning of the Cross for you today,in your life?