HOLY WEEK REFLECTIONS
Friday 29th March
The Crucifixion - Luke 23:27-49
Katie Gowland writes:
When I was 17, I met the late Queen. In fact, I not only met her, but I did so inside Buckingham Palace where I was stewarding for a garden party. She was quite a small woman in person, seemingly unassuming, but as she entered the room in which we waited, I was left in no doubt about who she was. Everyone immediately curtseyed to her, and the trappings of royalty plus the ladies in waiting who surrounded her, pointed very clearly to her being THE QUEEN. In the passage from today however, the soldiers, crowds and even one of the criminals next to Jesus on the cross mocked Jesus’ Kingship rather than honouring it.
‘“If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.” There was a written notice above him, which read; THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.’
Luke 23:37-38
Jesus did not fulfil their view of what a King should be. He had no palace or fancy clothes, instead of a crowd of servants catering to his whims, he served others. Most crucially it seemed he held no worldly power, arriving in Jerusalem on a donkey rather than a gleaming war horse and subject to a cruel, criminal death at the hands of others. What a failure he must have seemed! The sign ordered to be placed above his head on the cross by Pilate, proclaimed the failure of his Kingship for all to see. Pilate recognised Jesus’ Kingship but he and the other rulers who mocked him did not understand that his was an upside-down sort of royalty. Jesus’ authority was demonstrated through his blamelessness, his sacrifice and servanthood and to them this was the greatest insult to their own hard-won power.
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Luke 23:39-43
In this part of the story we are shown the two ways that we can respond to Jesus’ Kingship. While one of the criminals mocked Jesus and rejected him, the other prayed and begged him to forgive him and welcome him into his Kingdom. The two robbers have echoes of the sheep and the goats, those who hear about Jesus and believe and those who don’t. Jesus’ love as King is for the whole world, and he is not a King who is merely great in Power but one who identifies with our humanity and bears our suffering even though he has done nothing wrong. In this vivid story, we see a picture of salvation and of mankind’s two responses to Jesus. Both knew his claims, both saw his perfection and both heard his offer of forgiveness. They saw his title written above his head and both saw his sacrifice - only one accepted his promise of eternal life in his Kingdom.
Today as you read and reflect on this passage, thank God for Jesus’ upside-down Kingship of salvation and servanthood. Earthly Kings and Queens will find their power pass with death but Jesus’ Kingdom of grace, which we are invited to be part of, outlasts them all.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for the way you showed the world, and me, what true Kingship looks like. Today on this Good Friday thank you that you died for me. Forgive me when I take this for granted and help me today to think about all you went through, and why, all because you love me so much. Like the criminal on the cross may I recognise something powerful of your Kingship today and in doing so walk in closer relationship with you. Forgive me when I act more like the criminal who didn’t recognise who you truly are. Because of today I choose to follow you and love you deeper than I have before. Thank you for your powerful display of love, for me.
Amen.