John 3:11-17
September 14 is the date on which the Church of the Holy Sepulchere was dedicated in Jerusalem. It was constructed under the direction of Helena, mother of Constantine, the first Roman Emperor to profess the Christian faith. The Altar in that Church stands over what is believed to be the tomb of Jesus. Since our weekly Eucharist is on Tuesday, I’ve transferred the feast to today so that we can celebrate it appropriately this evening.
Good Friday is when we relive – in our liturgy and our hearts – the death of Jesus on the cross. And the bare chancel, the low light, the empty aumbry, all point to the sadness of what Jesus had to do to satisfy divine justice on our behalf. The Church, in her wisdom, sets aside a day when we can truly celebrate the Cross as a triumph of God’s love over all those forces that would alienate us from God and from each other. “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw everyone to myself,” Jesus says. Even those who plot his death, and those who execute him, will be drawn to the sight of an innocent man who chooses to die for sinners. And there shall Jesus always stand, ready to embrace everyone moved by the sight to repentance and faith.
Episcopalians sometime argue about whether that cross over the Altar should be empty, since Jesus is now risen, or whether it should be a crucifix. There is no “right” answer to this question. The Passion of the Christ cannot be confined to the Cross, nor does the Resurrection magically heal the scars of crucifixion. On this day, at least, imagine the crucified Christ on that cross, with his arms forever outstretched in love.
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