Today, we see the cross and what our Lord endured for us out of His great love. We see the ugliness, the brutality, the pain of the cross. We see sin placed upon our Lord and what He endured for our sake and for the sake of the world. Yes, Sunday is coming. But let us not be in such a rush to get to the empty grave that we do not stop and ponder what sin has done. He stretched out His arms of love on the cross so that we could come into His saving embrace. Let us ponder the depth of His mercy today. Mercy for me. And mercy for you.

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Good morning, and welcome to this somber yet profound occasion of Good Friday. As we gather today, I’m reminded of the irony in the name of this day. Good Friday—the day of Christ’s crucifixion, the day of his suffering and death. It’s a day steeped in darkness, in the weight of sin and the agony of sacrifice. Yet, within this darkness, there is a profound goodness—a goodness that transcends our understanding and reaches to the very depths of our souls.

Today, I want to focus on the closing moments of Jesus’ life as recorded in the Gospel of John, chapter 19, verses 30 through 42.

These verses encapsulate the culmination of Jesus’ earthly ministry—the moment when he declared, “It is finished.” The work of redemption, the plan of salvation, was complete. In his death, Jesus bore the weight of sin and endured the agony of separation from the Father. He willingly laid down his life so that we might have life eternal.

I want to share with you a book that has deeply impacted my understanding of the cross: “The Wood Between Worlds” by Brian Zahnd. In this book, Zahnd explores the multifaceted meanings of the cross, drawing from spiritual themes and ancient art. One image he discusses is that of angels catching the blood with chalices and the water with fonts as Jesus’ side is pierced—a powerful representation of the sacraments of communion and baptism, rooted in the redemptive act of Christ.

As we reflect on the cross today, let us not rush to Easter but linger in the darkness of Good Friday. Let us contemplate the grotesqueness of sin and the depth of Christ’s love. Sin corrupts and destroys, but Jesus bore it all on the cross, enduring the full weight of our transgressions. He stretched out his arms of love, embracing us in his saving grace.

I want to conclude with a prayer from the Book of Common Prayer, a prayer that has become dear to my heart:

“Lord Jesus, you stretched out your arms of love on the hardwood of the cross, that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace. So clothe us with your Spirit, that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you, for the honor of your name.”

On this Good Friday, let us remember the darkness of sin, but let us also remember the unfathomable love of the one who endured it all for our sake. May we reach forth our arms of love to all who need to know they are loved.

Thank you for joining me today. May you have a blessed Good Friday, and may the hope of Easter dawn upon you in due time. Until then, let us dwell in the mystery of the cross and the love it reveals. God bless you, and see you again soon.