Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion

Lectionary: 40

Though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not his mouth;
like a lamb led to the slaughter
or a sheep before the shearers,
he was silent and opened not his mouth.

 Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. When two of his disciples heard John the Baptist make that mysterious proclamation, they got up and followed the Stranger. 

When they caught up with him, he turned and asked, "What are you looking for?" We might ask ourselves the same question, and try to answer. We, who hardly know what we want and are often wrong about what we need, must stop there on the road if we would know this fellow or where he lives. We'll have to answer that simple question, and the answers will not be something we learned in the second grade from a catechism. 

What does your heart want? What does your soul need? How far will you go to find what you need and what you want? How deeply will you search your own mind and heart to discover the Lord's searching question?

We can't answer. It's a simple question but we don't know the answer. And so we asked another question, "Where do you stay? 
And he replies, "Come and see."

Today we have come to Calvary, outside of the city, outside of everything that is familiar and makes sense to our way of thinking, to find that the Lord stays here. 

"But of course!" we might say. "Where else could we find the Lamb of God?" 

Then I saw standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and the elders a Lamb that seemed to have been slain. He had seven horns and seven eyes; these are the [seven] spirits of God sent out into the whole world.

He came and received the scroll from the right hand of the one who sat on the throne.

When he took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones.

They sang a new hymn:

“Worthy are you to receive the scroll

and to break open its seals,

for you were slain and with your blood you purchased for God

those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation.

You made them a kingdom and priests for our God,

and they will reign on earth.”

I looked again and heard the voices of many angels who surrounded the throne and the living creatures and the elders. They were countless in number,

and they cried out in a loud voice:

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain

to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength,

honor and glory and blessing.”

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out:

“To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor, glory and might,

forever and ever.”

The four living creatures answered, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.