Meditation:
On the sixth day of creation, God created a man and a woman and placed them in a garden. They sinned and brought death into the world. On Good Friday, the new man reverses this sin through his obedience even unto death. He is stripped naked like the first man, and Pilate declares, “Behold the man.” However, like the first man, the new man has a new woman at his side. On the cross, he declares “Behold your mother,” telling all his beloved disciples that she is now our mother.
Reading: John 19:1-6, 17-30
Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple robe; they came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing him out to you, that you may know that I find no crime in him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!”
So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. The chief priests of the Jews then said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”
When the soldiers had crucified Jesus they took his garments and made four parts, one for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was without seam, woven from top to bottom; so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfil the scripture, “They parted my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”
So the soldiers did this. But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the scripture), “I thirst.” A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished”; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Prayer:
Today he who suspended the earth upon the waters is suspended on a tree.
A Crown of thorns is placed on the head of the King of angels.
He who wore a false purple robe covered the heavens with clouds.
He is smitten who, in the Jordan, delivered Adam.
The Bridegroom of the Church is fastened with nails, and the son of the Virgin is pierced with a spear.
Thy sufferings we adore, O Christ!
Thy sufferings we adore, O Christ!
Thy sufferings we adore, O Christ!
Make us to behold thy glorious Resurrection.