Good Friday Sermon

Year A, April 3, 2026 The Rev. Dr. Robin A. Reed 

Isaiah 52: 13-53: 12
Psalm 22
Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
John 18:1-19: 42 

Jesus loved us until the end: The Christian life begins at the cross. 

Hearing John’s Passion once again reminds us of the tension building in Jerusalem in the story and in our own hearts. 

As we hear each character’s response to Christ’s passion we remember our own dual nature .....dark and light..... sinful and glorious.... shouting Hosannas and yelling Crucify Him a mere five days later. 

Holy Week is an emotionally disorienting and exhausting time as we hear all the scenes in Jesus Passion identify with some of the voices realize at times like the characters we can respond with our best or worst selves. All week long as Jesus responds to threat, trials, and violence with faithfulness, non-violence, and obedience to the Father, we can ask ourselves. 

How Have I responded this week? 

When have I been a faithful disciple matching my walk to my talk 

and 

when have I betrayed Jesus, hiding when the going got too tough for me? 

Thank you for walking with Jesus with us on perhaps the most challenging day of the church year walking and standing with Jesus at the cross listening to your own emotions asking how the betrayer and/or the follower might be alive and well in you. 

Trusting only Jesus offers true healing for our spirit’s oppositional voices. In the midst of many voices in the Passion two people’s responses spoke to me Peter, a betrayer and Mary, the faithful follower. Sometimes you and I identify with Peter denying Jesus running away hiding out of fear of what comes next. Other times you and I identify with Mary, his faithful mother we will not stay away or be kept away from Jesus we will stay with him until the bitter end. 

Since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden...each of us are pulled by the voices inside and outside of us: voices luring us toward earthly versus heavenly desires. Rest assured, we are not psychotic, but we all struggle with balancing those voices of good and evil. Without Jesus we are unable to be whole, and holy, people. Jesus died on the cross to bring reconciliation with God, our neighbors, and our very selves 

Peter, the most human and probably beloved disciple, is impulsive and loud-- on fire-- to be Christ’s passionate disciple. In the midst of his journey, Peter promises Jesus “Even if I have to die with you, Lord I will never betray you,” and yet, the Lord knows and anticipates his betrayal. 

How many of us, like Peter in the times of embracing new faith or hearing exciting parts of Christ’s story make rash promises to show Jesus our loyalty and commitment or perhaps, like Peter, to stand out as a disciple.. 

And yet, when we encounter moments our beliefs are challenged, anxiety triggered, fear generated how easy it can be to be lured and look away from Jesus’s calling hunch our shoulders a bit more disengage from a conversation: 

“Who me?” 

“Jesus? Never heard of him.” 

“Who me? I am spiritual, but not religious” 

Other times, we tend to shrink away from inviting dialogue with a friend or stranger. 

Where do you worship? 

How is God at work in your life?

How may I pray for you? 

Other times we deny following Christ by not standing up for someone discriminated against, defending someone being attacked speaking out when someone’s dignity is disrespected. 

Sometimes we deny being a Christ follower when we don’t admit to ourselves and others the questions we have about our faith leaving us to wonder if we are the only ones with doubts yet eventually no matter where or when or with whom the cock will crow we will be convicted we have denied Jesus. At those moments of conviction let us both recall Peter looking across the courtyard weeping bitterly for his betrayal, seeing Jesus looking at him with hurt, deep tenderness, and love in His eyes. 

May we remember Jesus looks upon each of us just as he did with Peter-- with deep tenderness and love in the midst of our heartache. When we find ourselves acting like Peter we remember even through Peter’s ups and down, Jesus remained with him , and will remain with us as our loving and faithful Lord. Jesus named Peter as one needed to hear the Good News...(Mark 16: 7) forgave and restored, Peter commissioning Him an apostle empowered Peter to bring God’s message of salvation to Jewish, Gentile, Samaritan, and Roman people. (Acts 2); (Acts 8); (Acts 10)Through Jesus’ forgiveness, faithful and obedient love to the point of death, Peter was redeemed and Jesus died on the cross to redeem you and me too. 

The other voice I heard was Mary, the most faithful person to Jesus on earth, his mother.. who walks faithfully through 33 years of her own pain, fear, and sorrow knows him deeply, intimately since the day she said “yes” to the Angel Gabriel (Luke 1: 38) moves through the heckling crowds in Jerusalem, climbs the hill to Golgotha, stands by and with him witnessing a parent’s worst nightmare her son crucified on a criminals’ cross Mary in a very real way gave up HER life for Jesus before He gave up his life for her and all of us. 

Mary gave up her reputation and respectability by being pregnant out of wedlock bore hostile stares and cruel comments from her community, risked being an unwed single mother before God intervened and Joseph listened to his dreams, carried the responsibility for Jesus’ safety in a day with no walk-in clinics or real medicine to treat broken bones, fevers from plagues or injuries from violence-hungry Roman soldiers. 

Courageously Mary stands at the foot of the cross, conveys encouragement and love no doubt recalling Simeon ‘s words in the Temple years before, “Your son is destined for the rising and falling of Israel and your heart and soul will be pierced as well..”(Luke 2: 35) Mary knew, as well as you know, following Jesus has emotional, spiritual, and sometimes relational, costs offset by the joy of knowing you and I are never alone, knowing Jesus intimately seeing his way to live, the way of love and forgiveness witnessing his willingness to suffer and die for you and reconciling each of us to God and giving us the gift of eternal Life. 

Mary. experiencing the full weight of the Jewish and Roman authorities knows her own life could be in grave danger, danger of being either tortured to manipulate Jesus or even execution for blasphemy, believing her son was the Messiah. Yet Mary stands silently encouraging Jesus, facing her own pain and heartache, surrendering to God’s plan not succumbing to her own fear or selfishness. 

Today as you walk with Jesus and stand at the foot of the cross may you be filled with Mary’s courage and steadfast faith even if you have Peter’s doubts and questions along the way. 

For Mary’s heart beats within each of you too. That is why you are here today at times, when we act like Peter we can be so filled with pride we will never admit that someday we, like all human beings, will deny Jesus. Other times we can be so filled with guilt, shame and self-rejection we see ourselves as too broken to offer grace to the world live up to Jesus’s commandment to love God, our neighbor, and ourselves and we can’t admit there are many times we are like Mary faithful followers of Jesus offering our love and presence to others. Each of us bring this morning those competing voices, Peter and Mary to the foot of the Cross. 

We know.. like St. Paul (Romans 7: 15) wrote a deep chasm exists within us between what we want to do, our heavenly desires and what we actually do, our earthly 5 desires; the light versus the darkness with us. Walking through Holy Week noting our emotions and responses reminds us of this battle within us we hope, pray, and strive to be faithful while we falter, fail, and hurt ourselves and others over and over again. 

As I know you know... only Christ can touch our soul’s sickness...heal our addictions and pride selfishness and spiritual blindness....as we surrender like Mary to walk with Him and receiving His healing grace and mercy 

For Jesus ....puts relationships and family first... takes on our sins and pain our lost and abandoned selves... looks at us with deeply tender and loving eyes even in the midst of His pain and our own mistakes and failures.. 

God heals the chasm between our divided selves...our earthly sinful.... and our heavenly glorious self slowly...with one drop of Jesus’ blood on the Cross at a time His first breath at the tomb....his walking among us Holy week by Holy Week Sunday by Sunday...year by year decade after decade He invites us to receive His grace to be healed bringing the Peter and Mary voices within us into harmony.. 

Remember... whether you are acting like Peter or Mary, Jesus dies on the cross to demonstrate the depth, breadth, and width of his love and how far He is willing to go... for YOU. 

Following Jesus is one day at a time.....IS the Christian life and the Christian life begins here... at the Foot of the Cross. 

Amen.