Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1-19:42, Psalm 22

 “This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken. ‘I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me.'”

Our Lenten journey has culminated in Good Friday.  At best, we’ve spent these last 7 weeks with God’s help sorting and casting out our junk.  Our dumpster is now spilling over with garbage and ready for disposal.

If you have ever built or remodeled a home, your contractor provided you with an enormous refuse container, blocking your driveway and spilling over with broken concrete and splintered wood and rusty nails.  Impatiently, we await the glorious day when the truck will come to hoist the eyesore onto its rollback and drive away with that ton of ugly, useless, broken, space-consuming rubbish. 

Even on this day when we come to wrap ourselves in the horrors or the crucifixion, we can smell the lilies in the flower room; we know the truck is on the way.

There is nothing in our current culture (even with our over-zealous 24/7 news coverage and political divisiveness) – nothing that can compete with the religious and political scandal of the crucifixion. 

The religious leaders – Jesus’ own people – wanted him out of the way.  Jesus had declared himself the Son of God, and they were not comfortable with the evidence that supported that declaration.

Jesus did not move up in the ranks of religious authority according to conventional expectations.  He didn’t seek favor among the legal and religious elites; he had no desire for earthly luxuries or attention grabbing ornamentation.  As written so beautifully in the Christ Hymn of Philippians 2, Jesus “did not regard his equality with God as something to be exploited”; Jesus did not come to earth to use his miraculous powers to facilitate military might as so many of his people desired.

Rather than focusing his attention on these superficial earthly distractions, Jesus had pursued his ministry in ultimate humility.  He had healed the sick and embraced the outcast; he had openly defended the sinful while strongly rebuking the religious leaders for manipulating God’s law in order to enforce their power over the people. 

So, after months of keeping Jesus under constant surveillance, there just was not enough evidence to convict him of the unforgivable sin against God – blaspheme; and there were too many – huge crowds of faithful Jews – who lauded his ministry, continuing to seek the healing salvation he bestowed upon believers. 

What was an adversary to do?  How might one dispose of such a sensational figure without having blood on his hands?  Ah!  The Romans!  It was Caesar who was god and king of the Roman Empire!  If the opposing religious leaders could collude with the Roman political leaders convincing them that Jesus had presumed himself King, the Romans would surely convict him of treason and arrange for his execution.  Bingo!

And, yet, we cannot blame the Jews, as John refers to Jesus’ adversaries; and we cannot blame the Romans.  We cannot sneer at Judas’ betrayal; we cannot lift our noses at Peter’s denial; we cannot separate ourselves from the collusion and corruption that sought to snuff out Jesus’ ministry.  If this were a pretty story, we couldn’t relate.

We cannot blame without turning the spotlight on ourselves.  We’ve all contributed to this crucifixion that we have come to glorify on this day.  And, we continue to carry the Cross of crucifixion as the reminder of our redemption.

Our dumpster of garbage is full to overflowing.  It is a horrendous eyesore, a great source of ugliness and shame, far too heavy for human hands to bear.  And yet, Jesus, knowingly and willingly, has taken it upon himself and carried it away. 

Jesus said, “It is finished.”  Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.