{"id":2111,"date":"2017-04-14T17:02:38","date_gmt":"2017-04-14T21:02:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=2111"},"modified":"2017-04-14T17:02:38","modified_gmt":"2017-04-14T21:02:38","slug":"good-friday-2017-homily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/good-friday-2017-homily\/","title":{"rendered":"Good Friday 2017 – Homily"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good Friday<\/a>\"\"
\nIsaiah 52:13-53:12
\nPsalm 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25
\nHebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
\nJohn 18:1-19:42
\nApril 14, 2017<\/p>\n

Jesus has died.<\/p>\n

It was a horrible death.\u00a0 It started when he was betrayed by Judas, one of his own disciples.\u00a0 Peter denies him three times.\u00a0 He is arrested, scourged, mocked, and crucified.<\/p>\n

How could this happen?<\/p>\n

He was supposed to be the Messiah, an heir to the throne of David.\u00a0 Any good Jew knew that David had been a great king and built up the political kingdom of Israel.\u00a0 God had promised a Messiah that would sit upon the throne of David so they naturally assumed the Messiah would be an earthly king like David.\u00a0 Thus, they expected the Messiah to get rid of the Romans.\u00a0 Instead he was killed by them on the Cross.<\/p>\n

Well\u2026 first, as to blaming the Romans, yes it was sanctioned by the Romans through Pilate\u2019s order but it happened because the Jews demanded it.\u00a0 Pilate himself said three times he found \u201cno guilt in him<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 Pilate only had Jesus crucified to satisfy the crowds.<\/p>\n

As to expecting Jesus to defeat the Romans, yes, Jesus was the heir to the throne of David but his kingdom is not in this world.\u00a0 If it were, his \u201cattendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Jews were looking for a Messiah to suit what they wanted.\u00a0 If we read the prophets like Isaiah, we can see the Messiah foretold as a \u201csuffering servant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today we hear Isaiah\u2019s fourth and final \u201csuffering servant oracle\u201d where he describes the servant as one marred<\/em> so badly that \u201chis look\u201d<\/em> was \u201cbeyond human semblance.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 Does this not fit how Jesus was beaten?<\/p>\n

Isaiah describes the servant as one with \u201cno stately bearing<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 Jesus is never described as having a royal or stately bearing.<\/p>\n

Isaiah describes the servant as one who was spurned<\/em>, a man of suffering<\/em>.\u00a0 Jesus suffered greatly during his trial and Crucifixion.<\/p>\n

Read any of Jesus\u2019 Passion narratives and you will hear of many prophecies fulfilled.\u00a0 You will also hear how Jesus knew everything that was going to happen.\u00a0 Throughout it, Jesus remains calm.\u00a0 He remains in control.\u00a0 Even when they come to arrest him, Jesus orders them to let his men go.<\/p>\n

Rather than deny his accusers, he tells the high priest to ask those who had heard what he said about him.\u00a0 Jesus stands by his words.<\/p>\n

When Pilate asks what charge they bring against him, their only response is \u201cIf he were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 In reality they have no charge against.<\/p>\n

Then why was he scourged, mocked as a king with a purple cloak and a crown of thorns?\u00a0 For the answer we go back to the second half of today\u2019s passage from Isaiah.<\/p>\n

\u201cYet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured\u2026he was pierced for our offenses<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, you see, the crimes that led to Jesus\u2019 death were not his crimes.\u00a0 It was for our sins that \u201cthe Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jesus died for our sins.\u00a0 It was \u201cthrough his suffering<\/em>\u201d that he justified many and \u201cwon pardon<\/em>\u201d for our offenses.\u00a0 It did not start with Judas\u2019 betrayal.\u00a0 It started with the sins of us all.<\/p>\n

For Jews, hanging on a tree was a humiliating way to die.\u00a0 For the Romans, crucifixion was the most humiliating way to die.\u00a0 Yet this is what Jesus did for us.<\/p>\n

The final words of Jesus today are \u201cIt is finished<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 What is finished?\u00a0 His life.\u00a0 It might seem so.\u00a0 He died on the Cross and his dead body was laid in a tomb.<\/p>\n

Why did Jesus submit<\/em> to all this?\u00a0 Because he loved us.\u00a0 I think we can be confused about what love is today.\u00a0 Some people think that if they just find the right spouse, love will be easy.\u00a0 The truth is love takes effort.\u00a0 Jesus\u2019 love for us led to great suffering.<\/p>\n

Again, what was finished?\u00a0 In his death Jesus fulfills his mission to save us.\u00a0 But it is not the end.\u00a0 The tomb is not the end of the story.\u00a0 There is still Easter to come.<\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Good Friday Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Psalm 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25 Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 John 18:1-19:42 April 14, 2017 Jesus has died. It was a horrible death.\u00a0 It started when he was betrayed by Judas, one of his own disciples.\u00a0 Peter denies him three times.\u00a0 He is arrested, scourged, mocked, and crucified. How could this …<\/p>\n

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