Additional Scriptures

Psalm 22; Isaiah 52:13—53:12; Hebrews 10:16–25

Good Friday is the darkest day of the liturgical year and is not to be skipped. How can you celebrate new life without first experiencing death and examining the many questions of the cross? The emphasis should be that Jesus showed us the way of the disciple, and we must consider whether we will take part and walk that journey with Jesus or watch from afar. Such a consideration strikes at the very heart of Christian discipleship. Let the weight of the scripture sit heavy with participants. Let the scripture readings, the hymns, and the setting speak for themselves.

Worship Setting

Keep the setting simple with the focus being a cross. If you have a large cross, set it front and center near where participants will be sitting. Place enough candles at the base of it so there is one for every participant. If you have a small cross, set it on a table with a plain cloth covering the table. Set the candles around the cross on the table. In either scenario, drape the cross with black fabric. Provide a basket for people to place their offerings when they come up to blow out the candles. Keep the lights low, but bright enough for participants to see and read.

Prelude

Welcome

Call to Worship

Isaiah 53:1–3

Opening Hymn

“Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley” CCS 452

OR “What Wondrous Love Is This” CCS 454

OR “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”  without the optional ending  CCS 457

Prayer for Approaching the Cross

Response

Moment of Confession, Responsive Reading

Like Peter, We Have Denied Jesus

Leader: After Jesus had been arrested, Peter stood inside the gates of the temple. A woman asked him, “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?”

All: Peter said, “I am not.” We, too, have denied Jesus.

Leader: Later Peter stood with the slaves and the police around a fire warming himself. They asked him, “You are not also one of his disciples, are you?”

All: Peter said, “I am not.” We, too, have denied Jesus.

Leader: A slave of a high priest asked Peter, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?”

All: Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed. We, too, have denied Jesus.

—Based on John 18:1—19:42

Sung Prayer for Peace

light the peace candle

“Kyrie Eleison” CCS 184

OR “Soften My Heart”  sing twice CCS 187

Scripture Reading: John 19:1–7

Hymn

“Look at This Man, Born of God” CCS 26

OR “A Man of Ancient Time and Place” CCS 30

Scripture Reading

John 19:13–16a

Hymn

“Rejected and Despised” CCS 462

OR “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” CCS 463

Scripture Reading

John 19:16b–30

Hymn

“Shadows Lengthen into Night” stanza 8 CCS 470

OR “Rejected and Despised” stanza 1 CCS 462

Moment of Reflection

The question Good Friday asks us is: Are we willing to follow Jesus to the cross?

Have participants consider this question on their own and sit in the moment of Jesus’s crucifixion. The music from CCS 470 or CCS 462 can continue in the background. Do not be afraid to let this moment linger for longer than might be comfortable. If participants are willing, have them go up the cross and blow out a candle as a symbolic gesture of their willingness to follow Jesus. The darkness will add to the effect of the setting. Invite participants to place their offerings in the basket provided when they come up to blow out the candles.

Hymn

“I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” CCS 499

Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.

OR “What Wondrous Love Is This” CCS 454

Sending Forth

Read the text of the optional ending for “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” CCS 457.

Leave the Cross in Silence

Invite participants to stay and reflect and then leave the worship setting when they are ready. There should not be a sense of closure or resolution to this service; that will come on Easter. Rest in this Good Friday moment as long as possible.

Gathering

Welcome

Good Friday is a somber gathering as we observe the death of Jesus on the cross. All candle flames are extinguished as we symbolically wait in darkness. Easter Sunday is coming but has not arrived.

Prayer for Peace

Ring a bell or chime three times slowly.
Light the peace candle.

Beaten and broken God,

Across the world, pain and oppression such as you experienced on the first Good Friday still exist. Because of this we continue to pray for peace. Peace that releases people from unbearable hurt, peace that feeds the hungry, peace that empowers the overwhelmed. May your peace be delivered to those places as an ember of faith, a small but hopeful beacon of light that shines in the darkness. Tear back the curtains so all may see peace anew. Amen.

—Caleb and Tiffany Brian

Spiritual Practice

Good Friday Reflection

Say: Our spiritual practice today is a time of listening and personal reflection. The reading is taken from “Holy Week” by Keri Hill.

As we begin, find a comfortable place to sit, with feet on the floor and arms gently resting with hands in your lap, or however you feel comfortable.

three second pause

Become aware of your breathing. In and out. Simply rest in the natural rhythm of your breath.

three second pause

I will read several paragraphs then pause to pose a series of reflection questions: followed by one minute of silence for personal reflection.

Then I will read some additional paragraphs, pause, and pose a series of reflection questions: followed by another minute of silence for personal reflection.

After the second silence I will offer a brief prayer of gratitude and blessing.

three second pause

Rest in the natural rhythm of your breath.

three second pause

Even though I stood far away, I could see my brother shaking after he heard Jesus’ voice. He was overcome with emotion. I knew this shaking was more than the nearing of his death. Something had stirred deep within him. This may sound strange, but at that moment, he was more alive than I had ever seen him. Jesus’s cry for forgiveness seemed to have touched him. I glanced over the crowd, expecting to see the same reaction, but I only saw and felt emptiness, despair, and loss expressed through anger and mockery.

And then my gaze fell on Jesus. His face was so swollen and bloodstained and yet, I was able to look into his eyes and immediately felt a connection that I could not describe. There was compassion and love. I shivered but could not look away. I could not understand this man. Nailed to the cross, in pain and near death, he was not thinking of himself. He was forgiving those who had hurt him. Who was this Jesus?

My brother’s partner in crime was about to breathe his last breath and yet, he was relentless in his taunting of Jesus. Suddenly, my brother cried out to him in rebuttal and –for the first time ever in his life–took responsibility for his actions, with no excuses. He confessed that they both were guilty of their sins. My brother confessed! What was this change? Tears began to fall uncontrollably and I pushed my way to the front of the crowd until I was standing beneath him.

three second pause

Jesus’ cry for forgiveness caused a profound change in the speaker’s brother.

three second pause

When has forgiveness changed your life?

three second pause

What is it about forgiveness that is so important to faith?

Observe 60 seconds of silence

I cried out my love for my brother at the same time Jesus turned his head towards him. They looked at each other and then my brother, with labored breath and tears falling, asked Jesus to remember him when he entered his kingdom. It was the voice of humility and submission. I began to wail. I knew these were the last few moments I would have my brother with me. As my brother fell limp, Jesus made a promise to my brother that he would be with him in Paradise.

What did I just witness? Did anyone else see this? Did the crowd hear those words?

Not long after that, the skies began to darken, and the wind began to blow, creating a haunting melody as it whipped across the hilltop. Jesus exclaimed, “It is finished! Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” Then he died.

The ground shook violently and the thunder was deafening. Most of the crowd scattered and ran back down the mountainside. As I turned to go, however, I noticed that Mary, John and the other small group of Jesus’ faithful remained. They stayed steadfast through the storm and the quake.

three second pause

Jesus was faithful in death, as was his mother who faithfully stayed with him.

three second pause

What might it look like for modern followers of Jesus to remain faithful through tumultuous times?

Observe 60 seconds of silence

Holy One,
In the quiet of this sacred time,
we give thanks for your presence among us—
gentle, steady, and unbroken.

As we have listened, reflected,
and walked the tender path of this night,
we are grateful for the stories that hold us,
the love that claims us,
and the Spirit that meets us here.

Stay with us in the silence.
Open our hearts to the mystery of your grace,
and strengthen us to follow where your love leads.

Amen.

Sharing Around the Table

John 18:1—19:42 NRSV

After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” They answered, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus replied, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they stepped back and fell to the ground. Again he asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken, “I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me.” Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

So the soldiers, their officer, and the Jewish police arrested Jesus and bound him. First they took him to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one person die for the people.

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter was standing outside at the gate. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the gate, and brought Peter in. The woman said to Peter, “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing around it and warming themselves. Peter also was standing with them and warming himself.

Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. Jesus answered, “I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said.” When he had said this, one of the police standing nearby struck Jesus on the face, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” Jesus answered, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, “You are not also one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed.

Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.” The Jews replied, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death.” (This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.)

Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate asked him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no case against him. But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” They shouted in reply, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a bandit.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face. Pilate went out again and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God.”

Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate therefore said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor.”

When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge’s bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” They cried out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but the emperor.” Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill what the scripture says,

“They divided my clothes among themselves,
and for my clothing they cast lots.”

And that is what the soldiers did.

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. (He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.) These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, “None of his bones shall be broken.” And again another passage of scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.”

After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

The Gospel of John presents Jesus’ passion differently from the other gospel writers. In John’s Gospel, Jesus is fully in control of his life and his death.

Jesus does not struggle in Gethsemane or cry out on the cross. He embraces death as God’s will and a way to return to God in victory. Throughout the account, Jesus controls what takes place. He causes those arresting him to step back and fall to the ground. He reinterprets questions during the trial. He denies Pilate’s claim to have power over him.

John stresses that Jesus went to his death with no human help. Finally, he declared that all was now finished, “Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” No one takes his spirit from him. He alone gives it back to God.

From first to last, through life and death, Jesus is the mover and controller of both present and future.

In John’s Gospel, Jesus is victor, triumphant over pain and death. He fulfills his appointed role as Messiah, even as he orchestrates his own end. How shall we understand the meaning of his death? Jesus could have avoided death. All he needed to do was deny the kingdom of God, one of grace and compassion, and accept the social order of the day. Instead, he set his face boldly toward Jerusalem and continued to model and teach the kingdom of God—even when threatened with execution. Jesus died for the cause of the kingdom he proclaimed.

Questions

1. Jesus was crucified for proclaiming an alternative kingdom to the Roman Empire. How is following Jesus counter-cultural today?
2. How do you model God’s reign of mercy and compassion?
3. The Good Friday reading ends in the darkness of the tomb. When have you felt you were waiting in darkness?

Sending

Generosity Statement

Faithful disciples respond to an increasing awareness of the abundant generosity of God by sharing according to the desires of their hearts; not by commandment or constraint.

—Doctrine and Covenants 163:9

The offering basket is available if you would like to support ongoing, small-group ministries as part of your generous response. This offering prayer is adapted from A Disciple’s Generous Response:

God of rejoicing, We share with joy-filled hearts in response to the presence of your Son. May the offerings we share bring joy, hope, love, and peace into the lives of others that they might experience your mercy and grace. Amen.

Invitation to Next Meeting

Closing Hymn

CCS 459, “Jesus, Remember Me” (if you do not share Communion during this gathering consider singing Community of Christ Sings 470, “Shadows Lengthen into Night.”

Closing Prayer

Optional Addition Depending on Group

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

Communion Statement

Choose one scripture to read from this selection: 1 Corinthians 11:23–26; Matthew 26:17–30; Mark 14:12–26; Luke 22:7–39.

Invitation to Communion

All are welcome at Christ’s table. The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is a sacrament in which we remember the life, death, resurrection, and continuing presence of Jesus Christ. In Community of Christ, we also experience Communion as an opportunity to renew our baptismal covenant and to be formed as disciples who live Christ’s mission. Others may have different or added understandings within their faith traditions. We invite all who participate in the Lord’s Supper to do so in the love and peace of Jesus Christ.

On this Good Friday may we meet Jesus at the table, sharing the bread and wine as an expression of blessing, healing, peace, and servant ministry. In preparation let’s sing Community of Christ Sings 470, “Shadows Lengthen into Night.”

Thoughts for Children

Materials: small candles and lighter, or battery-operated candles.

This activity includes a few moments of darkness. It would be wise to speak to parents ahead of time. You may choose to leave on a background light or seat children with their parents to ensure each child feels safe.

Set the candles on a table in the center of the group. Light the candles. Turn off overhead lights and lamps. How do you feel when you see candles burning? (happy, excited, peaceful)

Often we light candles as a symbol of hope. The light of the candle flame reminds us of the light Jesus brings into the world.

Good Friday is a day when we remember that a world without the message and ministry of Jesus would be a world without hope. We extinguish the candles one by one until we rest for a moment in darkness.

If using battery-operated candles, you can have each child hold one, and turn them off one by one. If the candles are lit, the children may come up one by one and blow out a candle until all are extinguished.

Wait a few moments in darkness. Then have someone turn on a light.

How did it feel to sit in darkness? (scary, sad, quiet)

Even when there is darkness, we know Jesus is with us, and the joy of Easter will soon be here.

Let’s offer a short prayer:

Gracious God,

We thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus, who brings light into the darkness. Amen.

Exploring the Scripture

The Gospel of John presents Jesus’s passion from his arrest, the inquiry before Annas, Peter’s denial, and the trial before Pilate, through Jesus’s death and burial. Many details found in the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are absent in John: Simon of Cyrene, Jesus’s prayer of forgiveness, repentance by the “good thief,” several sayings from the cross, the sanctuary veil, and the Centurion. The overall theme is that Jesus is fully in control of both his life and his death.

John’s Christ does not writhe in agony. He does not struggle in Gethsemane or cry out on the cross. He embraces death as God’s will and a way to return to God in victory.

Throughout the account, Jesus controls the action. He causes those arresting him to step back and fall to the ground (John 18:6). He reinterprets questions during trial. He denies Pilate’s claim to have power over him (19:11). John stresses that Jesus went to death himself, with no human help.

During Jesus’s trial, Pilate is forced by the Jewish leaders to pronounce the death sentence on Jesus. When challenged by those leaders about the inscription, Pilate reversed their plan by affirming as fact the charge they brought against Jesus. Thus he confesses Jesus’s sovereignty publicly, while the chief priests continue to reject it.

John describes in detail how the soldiers divided Jesus’s clothing and cast lots for the seamless tunic. By citing Psalm 22:18, the evangelist implies the soldiers who crucified Jesus fulfilled prophecy. Some scholars suggest John’s emphasis on keeping the seamless tunic intact is symbolic of the unity of Jesus’s followers. The soldiers could not destroy what belonged to Jesus.

At the cross, Jesus is surrounded by soldiers, Jewish leaders, and a faithful community of friends, followers, and his mother. From them he forms a new family who is to care for one another. Finally, he declared that all was now finished—his proclamation of the kingdom, his sojourn as the Son of God, the new relationship of faith between his physical family and the disciple community. The prayer language found in Psalm 69:21 about thirst, can be understood now as expressed in John 18:11, “…Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?” Jesus has not only drunk the cup, he continues to thirst for it, drinking until everything required of him is completed.

“Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (19:30b). Even in death, Jesus is in charge. No one takes his spirit from him. He alone gives it back to God.

From first to last, through life and death, Jesus is the mover and controller of both present and future. “I lay down my life…I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:17–18). In John’s Gospel, Jesus was victor, triumphant over pain and death, fulfilling his appointed role of Messiah as he orchestrated his own end.

How shall we understand the meaning of his death? We know Jesus proclaimed and modeled the kingdom of God, a kingdom of grace and compassion for all. He could have avoided death. All he needed to do was deny the kingdom and go with the social order of the day. Instead, he set his face boldly toward Jerusalem, and continued to act out the kingdom even when threatened with execution. Christ died for us, for the cause of the kingdom he proclaimed. How shall we respond to the continued call to bring about God’s kingdom today?

Central Ideas

1. John is writing to his historical community at the end of the first century. We must hear the story of the cross according to the Roman-Greek and Jewish cultures, and the purpose of John’s Gospel: to proclaim the sovereignty of Christ and bring people to faith.
2. Although we are a community separated from John’s era by 2,000 years, we are not removed from the life-giving and saving work of Christ.
3. The cross has many meanings. One way of understanding its significance is to realize that Jesus died for the kingdom of God, which threatened the powerful of his day.

Questions for the Speaker

1. How does Jesus’s behavior leading to being in control of his own death fit with your theology?
2. How might the people of the congregation hear John’s faithful account about the life-giving and saving work of Christ today? Would people today hear it in the same manner as John’s community might have heard it in its time?
3. How might you communicate Christ’s intent to draw all people to him on the cross of Calvary? What meaning might this have for disciples today?
4. What is your understanding of the use of the word good (as in Good Friday) in describing this day and text?