Matthew 27:27-31 (NASB)

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him.  They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.  And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”   They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head.  After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

Today matters.  Dark Friday matters.  His death matters.

So, let’s not look past this day as just the beginning of a holiday weekend.  There’s a reason why in the Christian tradition – this day and service is considered the longest and darkest day of the year.

Let it be long.  Let it be dark.  Let it be silent.  Let it be uncomfortable.

While we will celebrate the Good News of Christ glorious Resurrection it is important to see the depths of our darkness and depravity that is exposed in the last days of Jesus’ life and crucifixion.   And once we see, if even for a glimpse, the depths of our depravity and brokenness, then the amazing depth of God’s grace and mercy is much more understood and experienced.

Attend a Tenebrae Service.

The atmosphere of  Tenebrae Service is intentionally somber as the focus is centered on the final words of Christ from the cross.   The name Tenebrae is the Latin word for “darkness” or “shadows.”   You should experience a small portion of Christ’s pain and suffering from the day of His crucifixion through this service.  That may unappealing to most.

One of the most conspicuous features of the service is the gradual extinguishing of candles until only a single candle, considered a symbol of our Lord, remains.  As it gets darker and darker you can reflect on the great emotional and physical pain that was very real for Jesus that evening. Toward the end of the service, the Christ candle is hidden, typifying the apparent victory of the forces of evil over good.  At the very end, a loud noise is made, symbolizing the earthquake at the time of his death (Matthew 27) and his resurrection (Matthew 28:2).  At the moment of the earthquake, the temple veil was torn apart, making the Holy of Holies exposed to public view.  This is understood to represent God’s change toward us with direct access to him, no longer requiring the ceremonial acts of the priests for our forgiveness of sin.  The hidden candle is then restored to its place, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil.  By this single light the service is concluded and participants depart in silence.

Why?

Listen to the words from Isaiah 53:5-6, for they reveal why the events of Good Friday had to happen;

“But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”

Though we did not stand in the crowd calling out, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” His blood was on our hands.  It was because of us He was beaten, because of us He died.  It was our fault Jesus stood in the Praetorium that day, we are the reason He allowed the guard to strip Him of His dignity and mock Him as they did.  In the garden Jesus declared how the Father put twelve legions of angels at His disposal, but He refused to call on them so we could be healed.

We do not like to see this Jesus.  We like to see Jesus in white flowing robes, not bloodied, swollen, and beaten. But we must see this Jesus, we cannot afford to look away.  If we do, we fail to see what our salvation cost, and as a result we may treat it as a common holiday or seasonal event.

Spend time this day focusing on Jesus’ sacrifice. Don’t just settle for the thought of Jesus’ suffering, spend time looking at it in detail.  For when we see the pain He endured on our behalf, it will heighten our excitement when we stand at the empty tomb and call out, “He is Risen!”