Good Friday is of course about a death; the most famous death in history for Christians.
The death and resurrection of the Son of God are easy to understand in the context of the factual accounts in the Gospels.  But what about our own lives and deaths. Millions of people ask themselves the same questions as the French philosopher Pascal did in the mid-seventeenth century.
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For Christians some of that uncertainty at least has been dispelled by the passion and death of Jesus Christ,  one of the two central themes of our beliefs. The other being, of course, His resurrection and the hope of  eternal life which that brings to us.  
But the baleful events leading to the crucifixion illustrate all the weaknesses of men and women throughout the ages and one sometimes wonders, looking around us, if anything has changed in 2000 years.
First the denials  and then the remorse of  the  hitherto boastful Peter  “And after a while came unto to him they that stood by and said to Peter surely thou art also one of them for thy speech betrayeth thee;
Then began he to curse and to swear, saying I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. “  
Then there is the treachery and venality of Judas.  “For thirty pence he did my death devise who at three hundred did the ointment prize, not half so sweet as my sweet sacrifice. Was ever grief like mine? “
The weakness of Pilate before the mob: “ he took water and washed his hands before the multitude saying I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.” 
 
The hypocrisy of the religious establishment  and their vindictiveness “He saved others: himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. “ 
But to me the most important aspect of this drama is the illustration of Jesus’ own apprehension about what was destined to happen to him. He was as the Creed says, made man. Though divine,  he scorned to use his divinity to avoid the death that he knew awaited him.  But he shows  us the sentiments of a man. In the Garden of Gethsemane  he prays:  “ O, my father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me”. And on the cross itself the cry of despair : “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”  This Jesus - this mortal not superman - means more to me, than the teacher of Galilee  who worked miracles.  I can identify with his emotions, sympathise with them and follow him because he was that apprehensive man.   
Yet always he accepts his destiny:   “Thy will be done”.   Can we accept that destiny? 
It all happened pretty quickly:
At matins bound, at prime reviled, condemned to death at tierce;
Nailed to the cross at sext,  at nones his blessed side they pierce;
They take him down at vespertide,  in grave at compline lay
Who thereby bids his church observe his sevenfold hour alway.
Then through his resurrection, Jesus transformed the whole notion of death for all of us.   He showed that by leaving his destiny in God’s hands he was able to fulfil his divine purpose to  redeem mankind and give us all hope of life after death in God’s eternal Kingdom. 
And even if we share Pascal’s apprehension about what our own lives mean,  the best way to show our faith in God’s Kingdom is to use that “tiny extent of time allowed for us to live” to  follow the teachings of God’s son each in our own way. 
Let us pray on this Good Friday for that renewal of our Christian purpose. 
“ Lord Jesus, 
Who stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the Cross, that all might come within reach of your saving embrace, clothe us in your spirit, that we, stretching out our hands in loving labour for others may bring those who know you not, to knowledge and love of you, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns one God.  Amen
Finally, a meditation on the cross from St. Augustine:
“Lord Jesus Our Saviour let us now come to you.
Our hearts are cold;    Lord,  warm them with your selfless love.
Our hearts are sinful;  Lord, cleanse them with your precious blood.
Our hearts are weak;   Lord, strengthen them with your joyous spirit.
Our hearts are empty;  Lord, fill them with your divine presence.
Lord Jesus, our hearts are yours; possess them always and only for yourself.  Amen.”
