Good Friday

 Matthew 27:45-61

Psalm 22

Passage for meditation:  “Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.  Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.” Matthew 27:55-56   

Devotion: Today, as many of you know is opening day for the Milwaukee Brewers.  Thousands of fans make a day of going to Miller Park, tailgating and with tickets in hand line up to get to their seats to catch that first pitch at 3:05.  Regardless of who wins, you can guarantee that all the local news stations will be there post game looking for excited, or disappointed fans to share the experience of being at opening day.

In a similar way, the spiritual song, “Were you There” asks all who hear it if they gave witness to the crucifixion of Jesus.

While none of us were physically there to see Jesus “nailed to the tree”, like the women in Matthew’s Gospel account, we who have been baptized can say with assurance that we in fact share in the experience of Christ’s crucifixion.  In Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, he says, “Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” (Romans 6:3 ) Our baptism is the “ticket”, bringing us into the divine drama of Good Friday, where Christ died for the sin of the world.  It connects us to the experience of Christ’s death for us.  

I don’t know who will win today’s ball game, but I know who won our salvation.  And I know that when Paul writes, “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.” (Romans 6:4-5), he speaks of a greater victory, one which all the baptized find their hope.  While there may not be much media asking us to share our baptismal experience in Christ’s death and resurrection, we have been made witnesses to the greatest event in all of history!  

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?  Yes!  And the good news is you can be too!