Good Friday invites us to stand in that place where Jesus stood. 

In Isaiah 50:5-6 we hear of this place from the very mouth of the suffering servant.  And I have not rebelled, have not turned back.  I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.

In the Garden of Eden, through pride, we rebelled, and we turned back from God’s will for us, but Jesus does neither.  In his passion and in the fullness of his humanity, Jesus stands in that place where we failed.  Jesus obeys the will of the Father.  He neither rebels nor does he turn back. 

How do we respond to insult, mockery, abuse, disregard and violence?  Is not our first inclination to respond in kind?  If you insult me, then get ready for my insult back!  If you hurt me then I will hurt you even more!  We see this sad logic at play throughout human history and throughout our world today.  But Jesus does not buy into this sad logic.  Jesus does not rebel, he does not go against the will of the Father.  Jesus does not disobey God’s law; he does not respond to violence directed towards him in whatever form with violence in return. 

Nor does Jesus turn back.  Again, in the fullness of his humanity, he remains in the Father’s will even as he is betrayed, insulted, mocked, scourged, slandered, tossed between Pilate and Herod and disregarded by so many even as he hung on the cross for us.  Jesus remained, he took all the violence and spite that was thrown at him.  Could any of us have done this?  Would our inclination not have been to fall back, to get away from such pain? 

This is the place where Jesus stood, neither rebelling nor falling back.  Jesus stood fully in this place where we failed and he did what we could not.  Jesus obeyed, trusting in the love of the Father. 

Good Friday invites us to stand in this place where Jesus stood.  It is only in grace that we can do this but that grace has been given now in Christ.     

And a deeper truth, when (in grace) we are able to stand in that place where Jesus stood – neither rebelling nor falling back when violence is directed at us – we will find that Jesus stands there with us.  That very place becomes a place of encounter with our Lord where we know his companionship, his friendship and his love.  It becomes a place of blessing rather than a curse. 

Good Friday invites us to stand in that place where Jesus stood.