Good Friday | April 3rd

  “When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.”

  Matthew 27:57-60

  There is a song by Paul Zach titled “He’s Gone.” I value this song in relation to the death of our Lord because it does not conclude with a triumphant resolution. Instead, it leaves the listener with the stark reality of the sealed tomb and the disciples’ perception that Jesus was truly gone.

  Beloved, sometimes we move too quickly to the hope of the resurrection without fully contemplating the sacrifice of our Lord and the despair experienced by His followers. It is essential to acknowledge suffering, loss, and the finality of life. When was the last time you visited a cemetery, not for a ceremony or to mourn someone you knew, but simply to be present? Solitude in a cemetery during the bleakness of winter can evoke a profound awareness of mortality and the frailty of life on this side of eternity. Such moments prompt reflection on loss and personal mortality. When did you last choose to be alone, intentionally isolating yourself to confront uncomfortable realities?

  Such experiences are not intended to provoke depression, fear, or overwhelming grief. Rather, these seasons can impart wisdom, greater sobriety, and a deeper understanding of genuine comfort. If we move too quickly beyond Friday and Saturday, we risk failing to appreciate the glory, victory, and comfort that Sunday brings.

  A great stone was rolled to the entrance of the tomb, and Joseph went away. There are seasons in life that reflect the pain, defeat, loss, and finality of this moment. Ignoring these experiences, or failing to question and explore our responses to them, is unwise. This inability to linger in the discomfort of Friday night’s fear or to wrestle with anger, doubt, and grief on Saturday often results in an inability to truly comfort others. Sunday will come, and Resurrection Day brings hope and joy to the broken-hearted. Those who have been forgiven much, love much. Let us remain still today. Sunday will come.

In Christ Alone.

Pastor Wight