This Good Friday, you’re invited to join in a memorial journey at the Golden Bay Foreshore. We’ll be slowing down and following Jesus towards the cross, remembering His love and the cost of our rescue from our own brokenness.

We all live with regret, the silent wound or ache we carry with us. Easter is an opportunity to deal with regret, to have our slate wiped clean, to get a second chance through what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

Could you do with a new start? It all starts at the cross…

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A Journey into the Darkness

On Friday evening, we’ll reflect on the journey to the cross using the following liturgy. We’d love to have you come along and remember with us…”

First Candle: Simeon’s Prophecy

It’s getting dark. That’s the thing about life here on earth. There’s day and then there’s night. There’s joy and then there’s pain.

The book of Genesis tells us that when God made the world, it was good. Everything was as it should be. And when God man humans to live in it, it was more than good. And then those humans decided it would be even better if they were in charge. And into the world crept a stain; a shame, and a certain hope of death.

A darkness settled. Scary. Beyond our ability to defeat. And we embraced the opportunities it presented.

But God has other plans. He became one of us rebels, to win us back from the darkness. The dinginess of our world lifted for a moment as Jesus was born and as He taught. But the shadow of death still lingered, stretching out it’s cold hands to strike at the light.

Read Luke 2:25-35

At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. That day, the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised.
I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people.
He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and He is the glory of your people Israel!”

Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him.

Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but He will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose Him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

Extinguish Candle

Refrain: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Second Candle: Anointed at Bethany

We jump forward 33 odd years. Jesus has, for the last three or so years, been announcing that God’s Kingdom is near. And it’s become clear to many that Jesus is someone special. The things He did – healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, even raising the dead – all point to Him being someone special. Many are sure He is God’s rescuer. Some have even come to recognise Him as God.

There were many who loved Jesus. But many also who despised and hated Him. Despising Him for His popularity, and hating Him for His acting as if He were God.

On the outskirts of Jerusalem, we meet a woman with a jar of perfume; enough to last a very long time. But this women deliberately empties the full jar over Jesus’ head. The liquid slips down His head, dripping all over him and onto the floor. The smell is overpowering.

The smell is sweet, but the mood is dark. People mutter. But the woman looks… broken. She’s seen the writing on the wall; the darkness creeping out to snatch Jesus’ life from Him and from her.

Read Mark 14:1-11

It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”

Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head.

Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked. “It could have been sold for a year’s wages and the money given to the poor!” So they scolded her harshly.

But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticise her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted when they heard why he had come, and they promised to give him money. So he began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

Extinguish Candle

Refrain: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Third Candle: Betrayal in the Garden

Not too much later, we meet Jesus in a garden. His eyes are red; his whole body seems overwrought. But there is a sense of purpose and authority still in Him. Up walks one of His closest allies. A friend for the past 3 years… at the head of a mob. A greeting. A rush of swords.

Jesus could have put a stop it all at any moment. He knew His betrayer would betray Him. He had authority to call down a military army of angels that not even our armies could defeat.

But He didn’t. And everyone who had gathered around His light fled… into the darkness.

Read Matthew 26:47-56

And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.

Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.”

Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.

“Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”

Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. But this is all happening to fulfil the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.”

At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Fourth Candle: The Trial Before the Sanhedrin

It’s usually not too difficult to spot who people with power are. They’re usually the ones getting their way. They’re the ones asking the questions. They’re the ones making life and death decisions for others.

In the kangaroo court where Jesus was tried, it would seem that all the power lies with the religious elite. They’ve taken Jesus prisoner. They are figuring out the best way to make a trumped-up charge stick. But then He answers them directly: I AM. God’s name. Talk of a triumphant return. They triumph in his defeat. Mock civility gives way to dormant savagery.

And they blindfold him.

Read Mark 14:55-65

Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find evidence against Jesus, so they could put him to death. But they couldn’t find any…

Then the high priest stood up before the others and asked Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?”

“Guilty!” they all cried. “He deserves to die!”

Then some of them began to spit at him, and they blindfolded him and beat him with their fists. “Prophesy to us,” they jeered. And the guards slapped him as they took him away.

Extinguish candle

Refrain: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Fifth Candle: Betrayal by Peter

Peter never saw this moment coming. Just hours before, he’d been boasting about his iron-clad commitment to Jesus. But when it comes down to it, it’s never that simple. He’s confronted again and again with the accusation – accusation! – of knowing Jesus. No. No. Curse me if I’m lying: No!

Forgotten in the dark of the courtyard, surrounded by enemies, his boasts lay broken. Forgotten in the dark of the courtyard his belief that Jesus was actually God.

And Jesus knew that this would happen.

Read Mark 14:66-72

Meanwhile, Peter was in the courtyard below. One of the servant girls who worked for the high priest came by and noticed Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked at him closely and said, “You were one of those with Jesus of Nazareth.”

But Peter denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, and he went out into the entryway. Just then, a rooster crowed.

When the servant girl saw him standing there, she began telling the others, “This man is definitely one of them!” But Peter denied it again.

A little later some of the other bystanders confronted Peter and said, “You must be one of them, because you are a Galilean.”

Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” And immediately the rooster crowed the second time.

Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he broke down and wept.

Extinguish candle

Refrain: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Sixth Candle: The Trial Before Pilate

It’s Friday morning, but the world’s shadow lingers long over Jerusalem. Jesus stands before the court of Pilate. He’s accused of claiming to be a king, a rebel against the might of Rome.

But Jesus is God. Creator and ruler of all that is and all that will be. The ultimate ruler, against whose might humanity has rebelled.

And yet we see Jesus in the dock. We see Jesus condemned to die at the behest of an angry mob. And we see the crowd choose a murderer in preference to the One who loved them so much. They choose the darkness they know over the light.

Read Mark 15:6-15

Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner—anyone the people requested. One of the prisoners at that time was Barabbas, a revolutionary who had committed murder in an uprising. The crowd went to Pilate and asked him to release a prisoner as usual.

“Would you like me to release to you this ‘King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked. (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.) But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?”

They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

“Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”

But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”

So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

Extinguish candle

Refrain: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Seventh Candle: The Crucifixion

Read Mark 15:22-32

And they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it.

Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece. It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. A sign announced the charge against him. It read, “The King of the Jews.” Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.

The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. “Ha! Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!”

The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!” Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him.

Extinguish Candle

Refrain: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Eight Candle: The Death

Read Mark 15:33-39

At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. “Wait!” he said. “Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down!”

Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

Reflect: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

In this world, we sometimes assume that we are abandoned by God; that God has left us to simply endure our life and the consequences of our sin.

The ancient Israelites, enslaved by the Egyptians, cried out to God for years for deliverance. Had he abandoned them? Were they still His people?

Imprisoned by Herod, John the Baptist questioned God’s presence and identity.

Mother Theresa continued her work for God’s kingdom despite feeling far from God.

Sooner or later, even the most faithful will lose sight of God in the gloom of this world.

Jesus, God become man, fully shared this common human agony of feeling abandoned by God. Only more so. His was an eternity of knowing His Father’s loving presence. And yet, as the weight of our sins was laid upon Him on the cross, he felt the infinite distance that sin places us from God. He felt alone, abandoned, in the dark.

Extinguish Candle

Refrain: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Sunday is Coming!

If all that we celebrated at Easter was Jesus’ death, it would be a miserable, and meaningless holiday. But the good news is that Jesus did not stay dead! The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. Not really. Oh yes, Jesus died. There can be no doubt about that. But we believe that on the third day, God the Father raised Jesus from the dead, never to die again! The darkness tried it’s best to extinguish the light. But it couldn’t. And it can’t. And because He lives, whoever puts their trust in Him will also never really die.

If Friday highlights the desperate situation of death, and the incredible cost our sins incur, Sunday gloriously proclaims God’s offer of new life!

The Lord’s Supper

We gather this evening, in the gloom of the twilight as creatures of the darkness. We recognise that we are rebels against God. We admit that, should the light shine on us, we couldn’t stand. Our secrets and our sins would destroy us. But this evening, we also gather as those who cling to God’s offer of hope. We eat of this bread and drink of this cup to identify with Christ Jesus. His death for our death. His life for our life. This is for those who trust Jesus – who look to Him and say, “I can’t survive in the dark… I need your light.” If that’s not you, just let the bread and the grape juice pass you by. If, however, you do trust Him – however imperfectly – take and remember.

Prayer

O Lord God, our Father. You are the light that can never be put out; and now you give us a light that shall drive away all darkness. You are love without coldness, and you have given us such warmth in our hearts that we can love all when we meet. You are the life that defies death, and you have opened for us the way that leads to eternal life.

None of us is a great Christian; we are all humble and ordinary. But your grace is enough for us. Arouse in us that small degree of joy and thankfulness of which we are capable, to the timid faith which we can muster, to the cautious obedience which we cannot refuse, and thus to the wholeness of life which you have prepared for all of us through the death and resurrection of your Son.

Do not allow any of us to remain apathetic or indifferent to the wondrous glory of Easter, but let the light of our risen Lord reach every corner of our dull hearts.

Amen Karl Barth (1886 – 1968)

Please Join Us

You’re invited to join us at Harmony Park, Singleton at 6am on Sunday morning for a sunrise service in celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, and the new life that Jesus has made available to all who trust in Him.

You’re also invited to join our celebration at 9:30am in the Coastal Community Centre on Tangadee Drive, Golden Bay, as we explore how Jesus’ resurrection speaks to God’s offer of forgiveness and a new start in life.