Blog
Good Friday
Into the Future by Faith
by Jana Jones
Isaiah 52:13—53:12
John 18:1—19:42
Good Friday. What chaos. What despair. The Gospel of John takes us through that very long, tormented day. I picture the disciples watching with incomprehension as their fellow disciple, Judas, leads soldiers, chief priests, and Pharisees to arrest Jesus and march him away to be judged. I imagine their dismay at hearing Pontius Pilot offer to release a prisoner and be outshouted by those who want Barabas to be released and then call for Jesus to be crucified. And how they suffered to see him brutally flogged and led to the cross. They had to witness Jesus, their beloved teacher, being crucified. A man without sin, who loved and only taught love. How could this nightmare be happening? How did the people who loved Jesus feel during that awful day?
My mother, a good United Methodist woman, made this cross-stitch design for me in 1999. You may remember how very fearful many were about the turn of the century as we approached the year 2000. There was a lot of anxiety that computer systems would fail, causing massive power outages, system failures, and widespread chaos. Some predicted the end of the world.
When I look at this piece of art, I see the bright glows of fire and swirling colors in the forefront of the piece representing the anxiety and fear we see right in front of us. Then, the colors lead deeper and deeper to the center, to the calming blues, to peace, to the cross. Christ is at the center. He is our hope. “Into the future by faith.”
We live in uncertain times. It seems very chaotic; very uncertain. We fear for the future. When we read the story of Good Friday, we can certainly identify with the agony of the disciples and all who loved Jesus. As we feel our anxiety rising, may we take a deep breath and center ourselves, picturing Christ in our hearts, bringing hope, bringing peace. We still have faith that God is in charge.
Prayer
Gracious God, on this Good Friday, we remember the sorrow and chaos of that dark day. Like the disciples, we feel fear and uncertainty. Yet, at the center of it all stands the cross—our symbol of hope that allows us to look into the future by faith. When anxiety overwhelms us, help us to pause, breathe, and turn our hearts toward you. Amen.
Jana Jones is the national president of United Women in Faith.
