HOMILY GOOD FRIDAY
PASSION OF THE LORD 2026
THE CROSS DRAWING ALL TO HIMSELF
Jn 18.1-19.42 Is 52.13-53.12 Heb 4.14-16,5.7-9
(Rhyme Bible: “The Day Jesus Died” Jn 18,19)
The ominous darkness of Good Friday draws us into solemn reflection on the injustice of the Cross, with Jesus as the innocent victim of a religious and political leadership that felt threatened by him, yet feared him and his message of good news at the same time.
His public ministry demonstrated his fundamental commitment to empathy, compassion, goodness and truth, not just in word, but also in action. The trouble was that he could see straight through the self-righteous finger-pointers, identifying clearly the hypocrisy of those who resented being challenged, and never feared doing so.
Last week I visited our Grade 4’s, who had many questions about Holy Week and Easter, wondering why such a good man as Jesus was crucified just because some people didn’t like him. It seemed all out of proportion, and so wrong. It is difficult to explain a theological mystery at that level, or any level, for that matter, but Incarnation starts with Jesus as fully human, as well as divine, so that his human nature entailed mortality, but not to die in this tortuous and brutal way. Yet, that’s what happened, as we commemorate today.
An obvious question is why this day is known as ‘Good Friday’, as there’s nothing obviously good about it. I suggested the French or Italian version could well be preferable, being ‘Holy Friday’ (and its not even a public holiday in Italy or France!!). Perhaps it is called ‘good’ because of the slogan we often hear, particularly from the fundamentalists, is that “Jesus died to save us from our sins”, but I see that as too simplistic, as there are still plenty of sins being committed in the world today, and there’s no perfection achievable in ourselves, is there? And why would God wish for Jesus as his Son, to suffer and die to save us from our sins anyway?
It seems to me that Jesus died because of the dark side of human nature being displayed by some who couldn’t take being criticised or challenged. Then, political leaders such as Pontius Pilate, recognized the goodness and innocence of Jesus, but felt threatened by the religious leaders, and so caves in to their wishes, literally washing his hands to deny responsibility. Then there is the ruthlessness of those who just wanted him out of their way, whatever it took, so the call for his death ensued.
The classic Leunig cartoon, with Jesus on the cross, with the 2 thieves on either side, points out he irony of it all, with the Roman soldier saying: “Brilliant! You kill the leader, and you nip the whole movement in the bud!” End of story!! But no! Here we are, over 2000+ years later, and the show goes on, not matter what. Hope endures, and light emerges from the darkness, despite the injustice and tragedy of it all.
Now, from last night’s Salvador Dali “Sacrament of the Last Supper”, we move to his 1951 classic portrayal of the Crucifixion, “Christ of St John of the Cross”, depicting Jesus, above the world, on the cross in a darkened sky floating over a body of water complete with a boat and fishermen, captivating imagery.
For further reflection, an article titled “What Good Friday and the Book of Job reveal about a world in crisis” by academic Adrian Rosenfeldt, who writes: “Modern society assumes suffering can be solved through policy, technology and progress. But this belief leaves us unprepared for the reality that tragedy is an enduring part of human life.”
As he looks at our world today, (while NASA heads back to the Moon, with 4 astronauts, after 53 years!), he suggests: “Rising petrol prices, geopolitical instability and the threat of wider conflict in the Middle East remind us how quickly things can unravel. These are not aberrations in an otherwise orderly world. They expose the fragility of the assumption that life is fundamentally ordered and that justice will prevail.”
Things continue to go wrong in our world and our own lives. We can’t solve all the problems and will never live in a perfect world. He suggests: “Denial of tragedy leaves us spiritually malnourished. When suffering intrudes, we are left disoriented, blaming others, blaming ourselves, or retreating into data and diagnoses… Suffering is not merely a problem to be solved, but an experience that can deepen human life… Suffering persists. Tragedy returns. Progress disappoints. This is not an argument for resignation. The horrors of war, climate change, and the crisis of youth mental health demand moral courage, compassion and action.” But we can’t fix it all the way we’d like things to be. And, ultimately, we have to face the harsh reality of our own mortality.
His final insight is thus: “Good Friday… invites us to act, not as engineers of a perfect world, but as human beings willing to face life in its full, mysterious depth. To be human is not to avoid suffering, but to be transformed by it”, and also to deal with it as best we can, and not alone, but with the love and support of others.
At the foot of the Cross, in the end of the tragedy of it all, were Mary, Jesus’ mother, the 2 other Mary’s, and John, the ‘disciple he loved’. Also, Simone of Cyrene and Veronica, with the cloth, have helped along the Way of the Cross, the searcher Nicodemus pops up out of the dark again, and Joseph of Arimathaea provides the tomb. The faithful friends are there all the way, continuing to demonstrate their faith and hope in Jesus, as well as their enduring love for him, despite it all.
And so we continue to face up to the crosses of our own lives, and those close to us, as the Passion and Death of Jesus offers us a model of hope and perseverance in faith, looking forward to Easter joy.
john hannon 3rd April 2026