04/10/2020
Today is Good Friday... a day when Christians pray, fast, and mourn the crucifixion of Jesus in their reflection, and tears. This is the day in which we commemorate the passion of Christ in all of its horror, mercy, sadness, and grace. Today we see Him tried, mocked, beaten, forced to carry His cross through the streets of Jerusalem, and then nailed to it. Here, on Calvary, He asked forgiveness for His persecutors, even as He was dying, and drawing His final breaths. Here He suffered to fulfill prophesy, and the Will of God. Are these the focus of our thoughts, and prayers, today? Do you, like Pilot, find no guilt in Him?
“A third time he said to them, “Why? What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.” But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed.”
Luke 23:22-23 ESV
So Jesus was handed over to the soldiers, and the mob to be crucified, and as He hung nailed to the cross He asked for their forgiveness...
“And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.”
Luke 23:33-34 ESV
Then, carrying the burden of all our sins He felt separated from God, and quoted Scripture from Psalm 22 to this effect...
“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.””
Matthew 27:46-47 ESV
Finally, with the will of God obeyed, and prophesy complete, He breathed His last...
“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.”
Matthew 27:50 ESV
Good Friday... it hardly seems “good“ when we look at just this one day, but without the death of Jesus, we can’t have His resurrection, without a resurrection we can’t have an ascension, and without that glorious occurrence we would not have the promise of His return, but most of all... Jesus would not have defeated sin, and conquered death; He would not have been our Savior, and Redeemer.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”
Ephesians 1:7-10 ESV
So today is bittersweet, and we suffer the image of our Lord on the cross, even as we make preparation for that moment which lies ahead... the stone being rolled away, the tomb empty, and our Savior’s glorious resurrection. We know the end of the story, but today we force ourselves to suffer along with Jesus, and relive this day as the original disciples did... in the gruesome observance of Christ bleeding, suffering, and dying before our eyes.
I wrote these lyrics with Phil O’Donnell one evening in my living room and they became the song “Via Dolorosa”, which is the name for the route Jesus took through Jerusalem to Calvary... it means “The Sorrowful Way”, or “The Way of Suffering”. Here is that original recording as Phil plays and sings of Good Friday...
VIA DOLOROSA
D.O.C.7/12/2018 RICH FORBES, PHIL O'DONNELL
V 1
SEEMS LIKE ONLY YESTERDAY
IN THE GARDEN WHEN YOU PRAYED
FATHER PLEASE TAKE THIS CUP IF YOU WILL
DRUG THAT CROSS THROUGH THE CROWD
FELL FACE FIRST TO THE GROUND
WHILE ALL OF HEAVEN LOOKED DOWN AND STOOD STILL
CHO
IF I COULD SEE THROUGH YOUR EYES
WEAR YOUR SANDALS FOR A MILE
I'D BE EATING WITH THOSE SINNERS I SUPPOSE
I COULD HEAL THE BLIND, RAISE THE DEAD
I'D BE THE WINE, I'D BE THE BREAD
WEAR THOSE THORNS ON MY HEAD DOWN THAT ROAD
VIA DOLOROSA, VIA DOLOROSA
V 2
WON'T YOU PLEASE TELL ME LORD
HOW THREE NAILS AND TWO BOARDS
COULD BUILD A BRIDGE FROM HELL TO HEAVEN
AND HOW ON EARTH ON THAT THIRD DAY
YOU ROLLED THAT STONE AWAY
AND ALL THE SINS OF THE WORLD WERE FORGIVEN
CHO
IF I COULD SEE THROUGH YOUR EYES
WEAR YOUR SANDALS FOR A MILE
I'D BE EATING WITH THOSE SINNERS I SUPPOSE
I COULD HEAL THE BLIND, RAISE THE DEAD
I'D BE THE WINE, I'D BE THE BREAD
I’D WEAR THOSE THORNS ON MY HEAD DOWN THAT ROAD
VIA DOLOROSA, VIA DOLOROSA
IT SEEMS LIKE ONLY YESTERDAY…
IN THE GARDEN WHEN YOU PRAYED…
(I apologize to my Facebook and web friends... due to the shortcomings of those platforms I can’t attach the song)
Prayer:
Father, thank you for this day, and all that transpired those many years ago in Jerusalem, and on Calvary. Hear my heart’s voice as I mourn along with Mary, and feel the heartbreak and loss of the disciples as their pain wells up in me today. Thank you for the love that brought your will, and the obedience of Christ to triumph over death, and to defeat sin. Teach me Father to forgive as I hang from my own cross, and look out over those who mock, torment, and hate me. Give me the strength to love them with the love of Christ. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you my God who loves my like none other, even to the point of sending your Son Jesus to die for me. Praised be your name above all others, and praised be the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Search my heart Father, and know that I love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Call my name from the heavens when Jesus appears once again, and find me pleasing to you then, and forevermore. Great is your goodness, mercy, and grace Lord, and greater yet the love you have for us.
“And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:8-11 ESV
Rich Forbes