Homily for Good Friday

When discussing literature or a movie, people frequently use the term “climax”, a point in the story in which the greatest amount of tension and struggle occurs. It's also considered the high point in the story, and the rest of the story either builds up to the climax or concludes it. It can be said that Good Friday is beginning of the climax of the Scriptures, as the Old Testament and Our Lord's ministry build up to this point in His life, and the remainder of the New Testament shows us the consequences of His death and resurrection.

The prophet Isaiah reminds us that Jesus came to take all the sins of humanity upon Himself and to suffer and die for those sins. All the pain and anguish that Our Lord undertook throughout his Passion and Death were to make atonement for sin. It's popularly thought that Our Lord saw those sins as he prayed in the Garden before being betrayed, which is why He asked for the cup to pass. If that's the case, it's all the more amazing that He was willing to follow the Father's will to His death.

Yet, He did embrace the Father's will and allowed Himself to be Crucified. At Morning Prayer this morning, one of the Intercessions states, “on the Cross you embraced all time with your outstretched arms.” He bore the guilt of all the sins of humanity, and was made perfect through His suffering on the Cross. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that “when He was made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him.” (Heb. 5:9) With all our sins upon Him, His death was the final act which reopened the gates of Heaven to all humanity. Salvation is now open to each of us; we only have to obey Our Lord's commands.