‘His life is the light that shines through the darkness – and the darkness cannot extinguish it’ John 1:5
Good Friday
The dull sound of a hammer echoed around the hillside. The crowds, who had come to watch, fell silent. The soldiers, whose task it was to nail the hands and feet, had performed this ritual many times before and were blind to the enormity of their work. Finally they were satisfied. With an effort they pulled the great timber up from the ground, jostling the upright and its load into its base. The upright dropped suddenly and forcefully when its weight found the home opened up for it. Now their only duty was to wait, but they lightened their waiting with a game of dice to win the robe no longer required by its owner. Suddenly brave, many dared to taunt and mock the man suspended above them; this man of miracles, now seemingly impotent; once enthralling, now as nothing. This disillusioned audience had no mercy.
By now it was noon, the brightest hour of the day. And suddenly darkness fell. All light was extinguished. Even in the night the moon and stars offer some light. Here there was no light at all. It was so densely dark that the closing of eyes provided relief from the utter blackness. How precious the light becomes once it has gone. For without light there is no hope. Only fear. Every creature fell silent. And waited. Waiting for the light, the very source of their life, to return. But the darkness deepened and thickened and became heavier and heavier. Slowly dawned the realisation of the terrible thing they had done. This man whom they had mercilessly nailed to the wood and whom they had lifted up to die a slow and agonising death – they knew He did not deserve to die. Not like this. All at once they looked up at Him, willing Him to live.
At 3 o’clock Jesus shouted, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani’ meaning ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’
Some misunderstood and thought He was calling for Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine and put it on a stick, and held it up to Him to drink. ‘Let’s see if Elijah will come and save Him,’ he said. But when Jesus had tasted it, He said, ‘It is finished. Father I commit my spirit to you.’ And with those words He died. Then the earth shook, rocks broke, tombs opened up and the curtain separating man from God in the Temple was torn from top to bottom.
The captain of the Roman soldiers handling the execution, and his soldiers, were scared by the earthquake and all that had happened. They were struck with awe at this Jesus and exclaimed ‘Surely this was God’s son!’ And when the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw that Jesus was dead, they went home in deep sorrow.
But the chief priests were very afraid for they remembered the promise: ‘After three days I will come back to life again.’ So they sealed his tomb and posted guards to ensure His followers did not steal His body.
Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday
On the third day, the women who had been following Jesus came walking up the path to the tomb. They were carrying the spices they had prepared to anoint Jesus’s body. They asked each other, ‘Who will roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb?’ for the stone was very large.
It was early, when night was still lingering and intertwined with the newness of the day and the group of guards appointed by the Pharisees were wary. Although the approaching women could not possibly roll the stone away by themselves, the guards were alert to the possibility of ambush. Suddenly, the ground quaked violently beneath the men, shaking them from their feet. Then they saw an angel of the Lord descend from heaven. He rolled aside the stone in front of the tomb and sat on it. His face shone like lightning and his clothing was brilliant white. The guards were so overcome by fear of this angel, they became like dead men.
Another angel appeared and entered the tomb while they waited for the women.
When the women arrived, they saw the angels and bowed their faces to the ground in terror. The angel sat on the stone spoke to them, ‘Do not be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. But He isn’t here! He has come back to life again, just as He said He would. Come and see the place where they laid his body.’
The women entered and saw that the body of the Lord Jesus wasn’t there. All that remained were the strips of linen and burial cloth in which they had wrapped Him. The second angel said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.” Now, go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and that He is going to Galilee to meet them there. That is my message to them.’
Trembling and bewildered, the women fled from the tomb.
Mary Magdalene found Simon Peter and John. She was still in shock and told them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of His tomb and we don’t know where they have put Him!’
The two disciples ran with Mary to the tomb. John arrived first and stopped at the entrance. He bent down to examine the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and entered the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying around inside, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. It was folded neatly in the place where Jesus had lain. John entered. He saw and he believed, though they still did not understand that Jesus had risen from the dead.
Then the disciples went back home. But Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she looked again into the tomb and saw the angels there, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying?’
‘They have taken my Lord away,’ she said, ‘and I don’t know where they have put Him.’ She turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realise it was Him.
‘Woman,’ He said, ‘why are you crying? Who is it that you are looking for?’
Thinking He was the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have put Him, and I will get Him.’
Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’
She turned towards Him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher).
Jesus said, ‘Do not hold onto me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, “I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”‘
Mary Magdalene went to those who had been with Him and who were mourning and weeping and told them the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’ And she told them what He had said to her. But they did not believe her.
Jesus then appeared before the other women who fled the tomb. ‘Good morning!’ He greeted them. They came to Him in wonder and clasped at his feet in joy and worshipped Him with love. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave at once for Galilee; there they too will see me.’
The women found the apostles, who were grieving, and told them they had seen Jesus, and that He was alive! But the disciples didn’t believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.
On that same day, two of Jesus’ followers were going to Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they were talking and discussing these things with each other, on the country road leading away from Jerusalem, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognising Him. He asked them, ‘What are you discussing together as you walk along?’
They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked Him, ‘Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?’
‘What things?’ He asked.
‘About Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied. ‘He was a prophet but, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified Him; but we had hoped that He was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. Some of our women went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find His body. They came and told us they had seen a vision of angels, who said He was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but Him they did not see.’
Jesus said to them, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if He were going further. But they urged Him strongly, ‘Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.’ So He went in to stay with them.
When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognised Him, and He disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. They found the disciples together with Jesus’ followers, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews. Once inside, they told them, ‘It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ They reported what had happened, and how Jesus was recognised by them when He broke the bread. But no-one believed them either.
While they were talking, Jesus Himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’
They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.
He rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. ‘Why do you doubt that it is really I? Look at my hands! Look at my feet! You can see that it is I. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost. For ghosts don’t have flesh and bones, as you see that I do!’ As He spoke He showed them the wounds in His hands and feet. Still they stood there undecided, filled with joy, yet full of doubt. Then He asked them, ‘Do you have anything here to eat?’ They gave Him a piece of cooked fish and He ate it while they watched. Then they believed and were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’
Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures and the prophesies about Him in the Old Testament. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power fom on high.’
Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’
“There is forgiveness of sins for all those who turn to me. I want you to share this message with all the nations. Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. All those who believe and are baptized will be saved. But those who refuse to believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they shall drive out demons, and they shall speak new languages and in new tongues. They will even pick up snakes with their hands in safety, and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; and they will place their hands on the sick and they will get well.”
Sources: Matthew 27:32-28:10; Mark 15:21-16:20; Luke 23:26-24:53; John 19:17-20:23
