Good Friday Service

sermon by Katharina Möller 

St. Georg's Lutheran Church

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. AMEN.

Text: John 18:15-18 and 25-27

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ!!

All over the world on Good Friday the story of the suffering and death of Jesus takes a central place.  The final stages of his life are commemorated in churches and congregations everywhere.  Many seek to spiritually accompany Jesus on his Way of the Cross.

All Christians -- and that includes each and every one of us -- are touched by the fact that Jesus had to suffer and die in such an awful way.  Although we already know that three days later, on Easter Sunday, Jesus will rise again, we can barely stand that Jesus had to take this terrible death upon himself.

The disciple Simon Peter couldn't manage either.  He was torn.  He didn't want things to happen the way Jesus had predicted.  He wanted to be strong, to stand by Jesus and be there for him in hard times.  But he was afraid.  This fear paralysed him and stopped him from doing what he really wanted. 

Later Peter must have often told of Jesus' crucifixion and his own predicament.  Let’s hear the story as he might have told it:

" It all started when Jesus announced some time before that terrible Friday that he would suffer and die.  I didn't want to believe it and had a number of ideas how we could prevent it, by hiding or fleeing abroad until everything had settled dowm.

Jesus really let me have it.  He said: "Get thee behind me, Satan!" 

That was a terrible time for me, although it brought me to a better understanding that Jesus is God's son in a special way.

Jesus said his good-byes.  I was sad throughout this time, even though his words were filled with hope and comfort.

On that last Thursday, Jesus washed our feet like a slave.  I didn't want to let it happen.  I didn't understand yet, that Jesus was trying to show us that his death would be a service to us all. I had never thought about it that way.  Later, Jesus celebrated his farewell meal with us.  We understood for the first time that we would be bound up with Jesus forever.  That night was special for all of us.

I didn't want to be separated from him, but to hear and see and to stand by him in the hard times ahead.   But everything happened differently.  That night was the darkest of my life.  Whenever a rooster crows, I think of it. 

First of all, James, John and I couldn't manage to pray with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.  After the long day, we kept falling asleep.   Jesus was disappointed in us.  Then everything went very quickly.  Judas arrived with armed men who took Jesus prisoner.  I wanted to defend Jesus with my sword and sliced one fellow's ear off.  Jesus admonished me clearly:  "No violence!"  That was always his message.  They took Jesus away while we scattered in fear.

I couldn't settle down and wanted to know what was happening.  Secretly, I slipped into the house of the high priest Caiaphas, where Jesus was.  Near the door, a young girl spoke to me:  "Aren't you with Jesus?"  I don't know anymore why I answered “NO”.  But from that first lie came more.  And so I denied Jesus twice more and acted as though I did not know him.  It was only when the rooster crowed that I realized what had happened.  I broke down and cried.

I don't know how long I was in that condition. I only saw Jesus's crucifixion from a distance.  I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare and didn't want to face what was happening.

Mary and John were very close to Jesus and could even talk to him.  I should have been near him too.  It was a terrible day, with an earthquake at the time of Jesus's death at midday.  I was at my wit's end, disappointed in myself and despondent over the death of my Lord, who had meant so much to me.  My life came to a standstill.  I shared my grief with a few  friends.

As you know today, Jesus's death was not the end.  Our grief changed into infinite joy when Jesus was resurrected.  Later my sins were forgiven by Jesus. I could start over again and took on a lot of responsibility for the first congregations, for my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.”

Brothers and Sisters, we have heard about a difficult part of Peter's life, from his point of view.  Peter denied Jesus three times.  It would be hard for any of us to be so open about our problems and weaknesses and not to cover up the worst situations of our lives.  Sometimes it is good to admit our mistakes so that others and we ourselves can learn from them.  We can empathize with Simon Peter's plight.

We know Peter as the great leader of the early congregations, as a confidante of Jesus.  Jesus himself gave him the nickname Peter -- the rock on which the church would be built.  We know that on Pentecost Peter obtained the power to speak convincingly about Jesus and to found congregations.

What about us?  Do we really stand by Jesus?  Or do we sometimes hold back when asked our opinion or when we should speak about our faith?  It is often easier to stay quiet when we should speak or to hold back when we should do something for each other.  Today Jesus’s message of love and peace often gets missed.  In big and small ways, we all suffer from lack of peace, lack of love and injustice. 

And in every life there are things that don’t go well, that cause stress and where we make mistakes.  Often we try to push them to the back of our minds and simply ignore them.  It is hard for us to open up and speak to someone about them.  When we find someone to listen to us, we can deal with difficult situations better.  Together we can ask God for forgiveness.  That which we always represss can make us sick by placing an inner burden on us.  Our guilty conscience constantly reminds us of it.  It is important to bring everything to our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have heard it from Peter.  Jesus forgave him.  God will also grant us a new beginning.  Jesus died for us too, that we may find forgiveness and peace.  And in a few moments, when we say the prayer of confession and celebrate Holy Communion together, that will again become true for each and every one of us.  At peace with God and freed of all burdens, we return to our lives.  We can breathe easily and pass on to others the love and peace of God.  So right now we are involved in the happenings of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter.

With Jesus we find a new path and can make a new start.  We can breathe easily and move forward freed from every burden.  And for that we should be heartily grateful.  We want to continue to pray for peace and good in our world and to actively apply ourselves towards those goals.

Openly stating where one stands and honestly saying what one thinks is not easy these days.  But it is important and can be helpful to others and give them comfort and a new orientation.  We must constantly reorient ourselves to Jesus and convincingly confess our faith in him.  That means following in his footsteps and in gratitude for the love and peace we receive from him, passing that love and peace along.

May God grant his blessing to our efforts, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

And the peace of God, which transcends all our understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Jesus Christ.  AMEN