Friday April 15 Good Friday
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Psalm 22
This psalm is one of the most dramatic expressions of extreme fear, moving into trust in God. God acted in the past, but is doing so no longer. Jesus quotes from this psalm while he is on the cross, (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) and early Christians applied some details in the psalm in their description of the crucifixion. It is appropriately read on Fridays, mini-anniversaries of the day Jesus was crucified.
Several elements in this psalm may have influenced the early Christians’ understanding of Jesus: the taunt that Jesus should save himself, Jesus being God’s in Mary’s womb, Jesus’ thirst on the cross, his garments divided, and packs of dogs which likely gathered at crucifixions. The second half of the psalm proclaims God’s faithfulness.
Lamentations 3.1-9, 19-33 What’s Lamentations about?
The prophet is giving voice to the feelings of the city of Jerusalem when it was captured 600 years before Jesus. Many of the references may have influenced the early Christians as they described Jesus’ crucifixion. The prophet expects that God will finally rescue Jerusalem from its enslavement in Babylon. That indeed happened about 70 years later. In the same way, after the disaster of Jesus’ execution, Christians experienced Jesus’ resurrection.
John 13.36-38 What’s John about?
The full account of Jesus’ execution is read at the Good Friday services today. The Daily Office focuses on this most bitter betrayal by Peter who knows so little about himself and will collapse immediately when challenged about being a follower of Jesus. It is Peter’s death as a disciple. Yet he, too, will be raised from his death as a disciple and will become the foundation of the Christian community. If we feel the same about the weakness of our commitment, we too can expect to be raised with Christ.
Today’s collect:
Almighty God,
look graciously, we pray, on this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ
was willing to be betrayed
and given into the hands of sinners,
and to suffer death upon the cross;
who now lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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