✠ We preach Christ and Him crucified ✠
Iesus Nazarenus rex Iudaeorum
Psalm 22,1.6-8.16.18-19; John 1,29b 2316
Karfreitag 031 schwarz
Tiburtius and Valerianus, Martyrs at Rome 229
14. April 2017
1. O Christ Jesus, who has born the wrath from the arm of the Lord, lift our weary souls with the proclamation that You have made everyone to be accounted righteous, so that we hold fast to You who has born our iniquities. Amen. (Gradual).
2. »Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from saving Me, from the words of My groaning? But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see Me mock Me; they make mouths at Me; they wag their heads; „He trusts in the Lord; let Him deliver him; let Him rescue him, for he delights in Him!“ For dogs encompass Me; a company of evildoers encircles Me; they have pierced My hands and feet they divide My garments among them, and they cast lots for My clothing. But You, O Lord, do not be far off! O You My help, go quickly to My aid!«
3. »Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!« is the message of Karfreitag. St. Luke records for us in his Gospel three of Jesus’ statements from the cross: »Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do« (23,34), »Truly, I say to you: today you will be with Me in Paradise« (23,43) and »Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit« (23,46). In each of these we see Jesus taking away the sin of the world as the Lamb of God.
4. »My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?« The Gospels according to Matthew (27,46) and Mark (15,34) tell us that Jesus uttered this exhortation from Psalm 22. God the Father truly did forsake Jesus while He hung on the cross, as the Apostle Paul explains why in his Epistle to the Galatians: »Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree [Deuteronomy 21,23]— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might appear to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith« (Galatians 3,13-14). Jesus showed His great love for us at His crucifixion in that He voluntarily went to the cross to be made the sacrificial punishment for our sin; He was willing to be forsaken by His Father and cursed so that the high and costly price for our sin would be paid in full.
5. The cry of despair in the Introit: »Why are You so far from saving Me, from the words of My groaning?« is juxtaposed against Jesus’ declaration: »Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do« (Luke 23,34). Here Jesus informs us that the Son of Man must suffer and die in order to merit our forgiveness. Jesus must be cut off from His Father’s act of redemptive mercy so that He could be the one who saves fallen mankind from their sins. Jesus cry then is for His Father to ignore Him and instead save mankind, and this is the plan of salvation enacted by God and His Son Jesus.
6. Psalm 22 goes into great detail of Jesus’ crucifixion 1000 years before it occurs: »But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see Me mock Me; they make mouths at Me; they wag their heads; „He trusts in the Lord; let Him deliver him; let Him rescue him, for he delights in Him!“ For dogs encompass Me; a company of evildoers encircles Me; they have pierced My hands and feet, they divide My garments among them and they cast lots for My clothing.« This was the great humiliation and shame Jesus endured from others while He suffered on the cross to redeem us back to His Father. The Jewish rulers scoffed at Him, the Roman soldiers mocked Him and the insurrectionist crucified at His left hand railed at Jesus to save both of them (Luke 23,35-37).
7. Ah, but the insurrectionist at Jesus’ right hand understood that day’s events. He rebuked his fellow cohort and proclaimed that this Jesus was being crucified unjustly for He had committed nothing that merited such an excruciating execution. And then he uttered his famous petition: »Jesus, remember me when You enter into Your reign!« (Luke 23,42). This was a man who had attempted with Barabbas to forcefully establish God’s reign by rebelling against Rome. Now in his last hours of life he sees how futile such an act of sedition was; he could not force God to act. All he can do now is throw himself at the mercy of Jesus, for he has realized that Jesus brings a reign greater than a mere earthly one, and he wants to be a part of that reign not as a rebel, but as a faithful son of God.
8. Jesus told him: »Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise« (Luke 23,43). Where Jesus is, there is Paradise; even hanging on a cross, there is the promise of being with Jesus in Paradise. This Paradise involves the return to the original righteousness that Adam and Eve had in the Garden of Eden before they fell into sin. Tradition names this man at Jesus’ right hand Dismas. In his repentance and cry for mercy, he received forgiveness and the promise of an eternal dwelling with Jesus in heavenly glory. He exchanged one reign for another, and in doing so chose the greater reign of God Jesus promises that same forgiveness and eternal life to each of us.
9. The Introit concludes with the cry: »But You, O Lord, do not be far off! O You My help, go quickly to My aid!« As Jesus uttered His final cry: »Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit« (Luke 23,46) His Father who had earlier forsaken Him now received Him in His love and mercy. Jesus uttered a cry of victory once He had redeemed us back to His Heavenly Father. Jesus who had suffered for you now hung lifeless and dead. All of your sins were then forgiven. Eternal life is now yours. Salvation is given unto you. On the cross, Jesus reconciled you back to His Father. Jesus has made peace between God and us. Behold, Christ crucified for you. Thus John Chrysostom poetically preached at Easter in 400:
Let no one fear death, for the death of Christ has set us free.
He has destroyed death by enduring death.
O death, where is your sting?
O hades, where is your victory?
Do not be afraid, for Jesus now has the keys of death and hades (Revelation 1,18). Jesus has triumphed over them and given us the victory: your sin is forgiven, Paradise is now yours and you have been commended into the saving embrace of God. Karfreitag ends in darkness and shadow, but tomorrow is the vigil of Holy Saturday as we await the next chapter of Jesus’ Heilsgeschichte (salvation history).
10. Finally, meditate on these words from the hymn Christ Be My Leader:
Christ is our Leader by night as by day;
Safe through the darkness, for He is the Way.
Gladly we follow, our future His care,
Darkness is daylight when Jesus is there (LSB 861,1).
Amen.
11. Let us pray. O Almighty and Most Merciful God, pour out on us Your abundant blessing so that all who in true faith share this night in joyful celebration of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead may be filled with Your heavenly benediction. Once we were in darkness, but now we are in the Light, even Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. (A prayer from the Easter Vigil in the LSB Altar Book 532)
To God alone be the Glory
✠
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