Daily Word Of God
John 18:1, 19:1, 4-6, 16-17a, 18-19, 25, 28-30
Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron valley where there was a garden into which he went with his disciples. Pilate then had Jesus taken away and scourged. Pilate came outside again and said to them, ‘Look, I am going to bring him out to you to let you see that I find no case against him.’ Jesus then came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said, ‘Here is the man.’ When they saw him, the chief priests and the guards shouted, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’ Pilate said, ‘Take him yourselves and crucify him: I find no case against him.’
So at that Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. The soldiers then took charge of Jesus, and carrying his own cross he went out to the Place of the Skull where they crucified him with two others, one on either side, Jesus being in the middle. Pilate wrote out a notice and had it fixed to the cross; it ran: ‘Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews’.
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. After this, Jesus knew that everything had now been completed and, so that the scripture should be completely fulfilled, he said: I am thirsty. A jar full of sour wine stood there; so, putting a sponge soaked in the wine on a hyssop stick, they held it up to his mouth. After Jesus had taken the wine he said, ‘It is fulfilled’; and bowing his head he gave up his spirit.
Today's Pointers on God's Word
As you read the passage what words, phases or meanings caught your attention?
- Today’s gospel reminds us that Jesus willingly offered His life as an atoning sacrifice on the Cross to show us the depths of God’s redeeming love and forgiveness. Ponder on this powerful divine Love of God in Jesus for all peoples.
- By His immense suffering and death, Jesus freed us from slavery to sin and won for us pardon and the gift of eternal life through His Resurrection.
- Being Good Friday today, as you participate in the liturgy of the Suffering and Death of Jesus, feel His Compassionate love for us. It might be good also to watch the DVD/movie “The Passion of Christ” by Mel Gibson to relive the suffering that Christ underwent for all peoples.