The Cross

Good Friday Reflection: Four dimensions of the cross

Video Link: https://youtu.be/XnyM2pIaKUw

Good morning everyone.

John 19:28-37

A reading from the gospel of John chapter 19, for Good Friday. This is John’s account of the death of Jesus. From verse 28 we read…  

²⁸ Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. ³⁰ When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.  ³¹ Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.

³² The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. ³³ But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. ³⁴ Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

³⁵ The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. ³⁶ These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” ³⁷ and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Four dimensions of the cross:

The cross of Christ has many dimensions. Today we briefly touch on just four of those dimensions: Relational, Psychological, Global and Physical.

First and foremost, the cross of Christ is relational. Jesus came to restore our relationship with God and our relationships with each other. Through faith in Jesus our sins are forgiven. In fact, our sins were nailed to the cross with Jesus.

And so, when we face the cross we face our mistakes; those things we might prefer to ignore or forget. We also face the hurts we have received.

Jesus taught us to pray: Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. What things do we need to ask God’s forgiveness for? And, who needs your forgiveness? We need God’s grace to forgive others.

Another aspect of Jesus’ suffering is the psychological dimension. Jesus was forced to wear a crown of thorns. This crown of thorns was a cruel joke of the soldiers, a parody of Jesus’ claim to be a King.

The physical anguish of the thorns digging into his scalp points to the psychological anguish Jesus suffered. Jesus was betrayed by one of his closest friends. He was deserted by his disciples, separated, mocked, alienated and alone in a crowd. Most people did not see him for who he really was.

The prophet Isaiah foretold how the Messiah would be a man of sorrows, acquainted with the bitterest grief.

Many people these days live with psychological trauma. Many people struggle with the yawning chasm of loneliness. Many are exhausted by anxiety and the toll of emotional pain and grief. Perhaps you can identify with Jesus in this way.

The Spirit of Jesus intercedes for us with groans and sighs too deep for words.

The cross of Jesus has a global dimension as well. You see, Jesus was innocent. The accusations against him were false. Jesus did not deserve to die. Through the cross, Jesus stands in solidarity with all those who suffer injustice, wherever they are in the world.

There are many in this world who suffer injustice. The people of Ukraine are hanging on the cross of war, through no fault of their own. Millions of people hang on a cross of slavery and unfair trade. Millions more find themselves on the cross of abuse or poverty, not by their own choice but by the callousness and greed of others. 

Isaiah said of the Christ: A bent reed he will not break and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out till he leads justice to victory. The justice Jesus will bring to the earth is global, reaching every corner of the earth. And it is a justice that restores.

The fourth aspect of the cross, we are thinking of today, is the physical dimension. Jesus suffered in his body. He was beaten, scourged and crucified. He was thirsty too, after having lost so much blood. The physical pain Jesus endured is unimaginable.

We are coming through a global pandemic. But even without the pandemic, many in our world suffer sickness in other forms and are feeling the pain of hunger and thirst in their bodies.

The prophet Isaiah said of the Messiah: by his stripes we are healed. The healing in view here is both physical and spiritual. Jesus’ suffering is the source of our ultimate healing and wholeness.

Our environment is suffering too. Deforestation, global warming, extreme weather events, dirty water, plastic in our oceans and our food chain. The whole planet is physically sick. Jesus came to make all things new. ‘All things’ includes the whole of creation, not just human beings.

The cross of Christ has relational, psychological, global and physical implications for all people everywhere.

I invite you to take some time now to pray into these four areas.

Examples of things you could include, in your prayer, in relation to each of the four dimensions of the cross…

Relational: What things do you need to ask God’s forgiveness for? Who do you need to forgive or make peace with? Pray for God’s grace to forgive.

Psychological: Pray for someone you know whose mental health is suffering. Pray for people who are lonely. Pray for those who are suffering the grief of losing a loved one. Pray for those who are overly anxious or afraid.

Global: Pray for those who are suffering some form of injustice. E.g. Unfair trade / modern day slaves, the poor, survivors of abuse, refugees displaced by war or famine, the people of Ukraine, etc.  

Physical: Pray for the healing of our bodies and our environment. Pray for someone you know personally who is unwell. Pray for an end to the Covid pandemic.