The Crucifixion of a King

Homily for Good Friday

Last Sunday, we proclaimed the passion narrative from St. Luke’s Gospel, and I tried to show St. Luke’s purpose was to illustrate that Jesus was the compassion of God personified. On Good Friday we always proclaim the passion narrative from St. John’s Gospel. Like the rest of his Gospel, his passion narrative also has a distinct purpose and differs from the other three in remarkable ways. At last night’s liturgy we heard the Gospel of John tell us that Jesus was “fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power.” In the opening lines of today’s proclamation, St. John tells us that Jesus knew “everything that was going to happen to him.”

Throughout this passion narrative, it is obvious that it is Jesus who is in control. It is he who asks what brings the band of soldiers and guards to the Garden of Gethsemane. When he asks the question, they fall to the ground prostrate before him. This is the posture of worship.

Throughout his questioning by the Jewish elders, it is clear that it is Jesus who is in control. He even gets in the last word when the attendant slaps him for his response to the high priest.

When he stands before Pilate, there can be no doubt that Jesus is the one who is directing this conversation. When the soldiers mock him as the King of the Jews, the Gospel ironically has them dressing Jesus as a king and then crowning him with thorns. When Pilate brings Jesus back before the people, it is Jesus, not he, who sits on the judgment seat.

St. John’s object in this passion narrative is to show us that Jesus is a king, and the crucifixion is nothing less than his enthronement. The image of Jesus hanging on the cross has become the symbol of victory rather than the defeat that the chief priests and Pilate thought it was. That image now hangs on the walls of every one of our homes and in every one of our places of worship. With his arms stretched wide, Jesus embraces the human race and our entire world and draws it into the love that fills his heart.

As we venerate this cross today, our hearts are filled with love for the gentle Savior who became one like us in order to save us.