John 19:25-30 (ESV)
25 But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Reflection:
Good Friday. Good Friday? Even today I wince at that description. This is always a day in which I am overcome with sadness. Even as a child and teenager, tears would come to my eyes as I heard this story. There is so much that happens that day. The trial. The jarring back-and-forth between Pilate and Herod. The choice of Barabbas over Jesus. The scourging. The crown of thorns smashed down on Jesus’s head. Carrying the cross bar to Golgotha. Nailing Jesus to the cross. The agony of his death by suffocation. I freely admit to weeping, even now at my age, every Good Friday.

I want to ask you to do something with me. I want you to trust me on this. Lean into this story. Cut off the television, unplug your cell phone, get in a quiet place, and read all these verses from the eighteenth and nineteenth chapters of John…out loud. Then I want you to choose one of the persons in this account and get into his/her shoes. Close your eyes. Become that person. Feel the emotions of that person. Take an active part in the saddest day in the history of the world. What are you wearing? What is the weather like? Who is standing around you? What noises do you hear? What is your heart rate? Be this person for a few minutes. Let it soak in. Then, join me at the foot of the cross. This is a moment in human history of deep suffering, utter failure, and complete loss. Listen as Jesus gasps, “I thirst.” He needs something to assuage his parched throat and broken body.

Now, come back to today. On this Good Friday, April 10, 2020, what do you thirst for? What betrayal has left you crippled? What illness seems so profound that you no longer dare to hope for healing? What sadness has made itself a home in your heart and you long to be consoled? What anger has hardened your heart? What dream is so precious that you are terrified to put it into words? What abandonment is completely overwhelming? What, in you, seems so dead, that you cannot believe it can be resurrected? What Black Friday, what Good Friday, thirst do you have?

Know, know absolutely, that even on this day, the message whispered from the cross is that the God-of-All-Life cares and is listening to hear your thirst cry. Your Good Friday thirst can be redeemed into new life. Jesus can do it. Jesus is larger than our loneliness, deeper than our grief, more encompassing than utter abandonment.

God’s love comes to us as a gracious, blessed response to our thirst. Drink it in.

Application: In your daily Bible reading, consider reading scripture out loud. It can be really informative to hear scriptures in your own voice. You will find yourself emphasizing different words. If you do this, the Holy Spirit will reveal new insights, new truths to you, even with favorite passages. Reading scripture out loud is what many ministers do as part of their sermon preparation. For example, in doing this, many ministers are able to preach familiar Christmas and Easter stories from fresh, new perspectives.

 

Closing Prayer:

Loving and Eternal God,

We cry out to you today. We are thirsty for something that only you can provide. Supply our need. Give us the ability to drink it in, to gulp it down.

With tears of gratitude we pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.