Simon Peter said, ‘Lord, where are you going?' Jesus replied, ‘Now you cannot follow me where I am going, but later you shall follow me.' Peter said to him, ‘Why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.' ‘Lay down your life for me?' answered Jesus. ‘In all truth I tell you, before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.' (John 13:36-28 NJB)
What else is there to say? Jesus is condemned to death and even his closest friends deny so much as knowing Him. The old spiritual, "Were You There" asks if we, you and I, were at Calvary when He was crucified. The truth is that we, you and I, were not only there it was us who swung the hammer to drive the nails into his hands and feet. It was we who crowned Him with thorns, mocked and spit upon Him and struck Him with rods. It was we who gave Him vinegar to drink and who cast lots for His raiment. It was we who pierced His side with the spear and who laid Him in the tomb. Our disobedience, our sin, crucified the Lord of Life.
My people, what have I done to you, or in what have I offended you? Answer me. What more should I have done, and did not do? I led you out of the land of Egypt, and you prepared a cross for me. I opened the Red Sea before you, and you opened my side with a lance. I gave you a royal scepter, and you have given me a crown of thorns. With great power I lifted you up, and you have hung me upon a cross. My people, what have I done to you, or in what have I offended you? Answer me. (from the Reproaches of Good Friday)
It was our weaknesses that he carried, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one struck by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins; upon him was the punishment that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; but the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all. (Is. 53:4-6)
We adore you O Christ, and we praise You. Because by your holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
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