GOOD FRIDAY

is the day on which Christians commemorate the Crucifixion of Jesus, a day of sorrow, penance, and fasting. This year, Good Friday will be celebrated on April 2, 2021. Then we look ahead with joyful hearts. Sunday’s coming!

 

UNTIL THE 4TH CENTURY

Jesus’ Last Supper, his death, and his Resurrection were observed by followers of Jesus on the evening before Easter. Since that time, each event has been observed separately, with Easter and the resurrection of Jesus being the pivotal event.

 

If we follow the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus’ last meal with his disciples on the evening before his Crucifixion would have been a Passover seder. John’s Gospel holds that Passover had not yet begun when Jesus’ final meal was eaten. While the dating is problematic, Christians have traditionally followed the Passover date by linking the Last Supper and the seder to the Jewish lunisolar calendar rather than the Gregorian solar calendar.

 

PASSOVER THIS YEAR

began at Saturday sundown, March 27 and continues for 8 days until Sunday, April 4.

Passover, or Pesach (Hebrew) in Judaism’s tradition harkens back to Moses’ era and the freeing of the Hebrew people from Egyptian slavery and the “passing over” or sparing of the firstborn of the Israelites on the eve of their leaving Egypt and three days later the miraculous parting of the Sea and their deliverance from Pharaoh’s pursuing army.

 

These special days began with a seder feast usually celebrated by families in their homes. Various symbolic foods are eaten and while leaven is prohibited, the unleavened bread called ‘matzo’ may be included. This symbolizes the Hebrews’ suffering and the haste with which they left Egypt. Passover is intended as a happy time even though strict Jewish law rules are to be adhered to.

 

The eighth day and final Passover day (on April 4, 2021) is associated with hopes for the coming of Moshiach (the Messiah). According to traditional Judaism, Messianic Redemption will be ushered in by a human leader, a descendant of Kings David and Solomon, who will be wiser than Solomon, and a prophet like Moses.

 

Maimonides (1135–1204), a Jewish philosopher and Rabbinic scholar, offered a criterion identifying the Moshiach as one who, if he practices and leads the Jewish people in the ways of the Torah, observes all 613 commandments, rebuilds the Temple in Jerusalem and facilitates the return of the Jewish people to the Holy Land, he will have proven himself to be Israel’s long awaited Moshiach. Jesus did not fulfill the mission of the Moshiach as described by Maimonides.

 

BUT ONE DAY JESUS

who knew all the questions that would surround him before they were even asked, stood on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee and in the course of presenting the most memorable sermon known to man, said,

 

“Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father. Don’t misunderstand why I have come—it isn’t to cancel the laws of Moses and the warnings of the prophets. No, I came to fulfill them and to make them all come true. With all the earnestness I have I say: Every law in the Book will continue until its purpose is achieved.”[1]

 

On another occasion he was asked, “Sir, which is the most important command in the laws of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second most important is similar: ‘Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself’ …”[2]

 

AND SO THIS SUNDAY

there are those gathered at the ending of another Passover celebration with hopes and prayers that Moshiach (the Messiah) will be coming soon.

 

And there are those gathered today celebrating the Messiah who came already, and is coming again. The One of whom it is said,“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

 

“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

 

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”[3]

 

SO MAY THE ONE TRUE GOD

open our eyes and our hearts to Him and to one another on this glorious Sunday as we seek to fulfill the greatest commandments, ‘Loving the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and loving our neighbors as much as we love ourself.’[4]

 

He is risen. Happy Easter. He is risen indeed!

 

May Jesus keep us close.

 

 

[1] Matthew 5:16-18 TLB

[2] Matthew 22:36-40 TLB

[3] John,1:1-5,9-14 TLB

[4] Matthew 22:36-40 TLB paraphrased