Meditation: John 18:1–19:42

Good Friday of the Passion of the Lord

Behold, your king! (John 19:14)

Today stands as one of the most somber days of the year: the day we contemplate Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. But rather than just reminiscing or feeling sad and withdrawn, let’s take Pilate’s exhortation literally and behold our King. Let’s join Mary and John at the foot of the cross and fix our gaze on Jesus.

Behold your king! Look at his broken body. See him crowned with thorns. Focus on his hands, his feet, his side. See his love flowing down to us as the blood continues to pour out from his side. Gaze into his eyes, and see the sorrow and the joy on his face: sorrow that our sins have brought him to this point; joy that his Father would raise him up—and raise us with him.

Behold your king! He is not just a ruler from the annals of history. He is not just a distant sovereign king. He is your King. He knows your name. He chose you to be his own, before you were even created. You belong to him. He sees every detail of your life, and he loves you. Hear him announce, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Know that this is a cry of victory. Believe that your king has completed his mission and opened the gates of heaven—for you.

Behold your king! There he is, the King of glory, the One who sustains the universe, hanging on a cross. This king came to serve, not to be served. Mocked and ridiculed, he suffers in silence. He conquers not with armies but through sacrifice. He delights in showing mercy, not vengeance. Gaze upon him, and see the Son of God offering his life for the sins of the world—for your sins.

On this holy day, try to set aside some extra time to be with Jesus. Your parish probably has a special celebration of the Stations of the Cross today. Join in if you can. Let the Stations show you what Jesus did for you. Fix your eyes on the crown of thorns, the nails, his side. As you do, behold your King, and let his sacrifice move your heart. Offer him your love, your trust, and your obedience.

“Jesus, my King, thank you for dying for me. I love you.”

Isaiah 52:13–53:12
Psalm 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-17, 25
Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9

A Christian Pilgrim

THE CRUCIFIXION OF THE REDEEMER [JOHN 19:15-30] – Good Friday

14 Apr

THE CRUCIFIXION OF THE REDEEMER [John 19:15-30] – Good Friday

Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar”. Then he handed Him over to them to be crucified.

So, they took Jesus, and carrying the cross Himself He went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. Pilate also had inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews”. Now many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews’, but that he said, ‘I am the King of the Jews’.” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took His clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier. They also took His tunic, but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down. So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be”, in order that the passage of scripture might be fulfilled [that says]: “They divided my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots”. This is what the soldiers did.

Standing by the cross of jesus were His mother and mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple there whom He loved, 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 into his home.

After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst”. There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to His mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, He said, “It is finished”. And bowing His head, He handed over the spirit. [John 9:15-30]

Prayer: Lord Jesus, through this bitter passion and through the outpouring of Your precious blood, I ask You to pierce my heart so that my tears of penance and love may be my bread day and night. Amen.