#HolyWeek2021 – Good Friday Reflection 6: Jesus Is Crucified

Our Good Friday reflections continue. My name is Gordon, and we return to the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 23, as Jesus is crucified:

²⁶As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. ²⁷A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. ²⁸Jesus turned and said to them, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹For the time will come when you will say, “Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!” ³⁰Then

‘ “they will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’

and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ ”

³¹For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?’

³²Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. ³³When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals – one on his right, the other on his left. ³⁴Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

³⁵The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.’

³⁶The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar ³⁷and said, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’

³⁸There was a written notice above him, which read:

This is the king of the Jews.

³⁹One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’

⁴⁰But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’

⁴²Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’

⁴³Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.’

Take a moment, and reflect: We have all sinned. It was our sin that held Jesus to the cross. Because of our sin, Jesus gave his life as a willing sacrifice so that we may have forgiveness and eternal life. Spend some time in prayer, giving thanks to God that Jesus was willing to do this for us.

Our next reflection is available from: 6pm.