John 18:1-19:42: Crucify Him!

Introduction

(Read once to be introduced to the series. After that skip this to go right to the good stuff!) 

Welcome to my Devotions Series. This series features devotions based on the Scriptures of the Common Lectionary. The series is being prepared for eventual and hopeful print publication.

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Lectionary Series Year A: Good Friday
John 18:1-19:42 (Read it on Bible Gateway)
Crucify Him!
On this Good Friday, we have another lengthy selection of Gospel, the full account of Jesus' arrest, trial, and crucifixion, according to the Gospel of John. Again, with so much rich material, the best approach is to look at the broader story as a whole and come at it from a more personal accounting.

Having been primarily a youth pastor during my tenure of professional ministry, I've done a good share of retreats over the years. They are both the most demanding and most rewarding 'program' ministry I've ever been part of. There is nothing quite like packing a group of people, usually youth, off for 2-3 days where we focus on issues of faith, relationships and connecting with one another. The sense of community that would develop in those times never ceased to amaze. They were easily the most fun, the most intense, the most exhausting and the most rewarding times by far and I have many precious memories of various retreats with various groups.

When I planned and led retreats, especially for youth, I always tried to find original, creative, and powerful ways of communicating the message of the themes for the weekend. I wanted it to be more than just discussions and wanted to do things that we couldn't do in other settings.

One of the best weekends I remember from that time was a retreat I did with a youth group whose theme was Forgiveness. We spent a good chunk of the weekend focused on Jesus dying for our sins in order to bring forgiveness to us, God's beloved.

As the weekend began drawing to a close, during one of the final sessions, I shared with the kids the story of the Crucifixion and we talked about how to make the impact of that story real in our own lives. I then pulled out a ten foot wooden cross (made courtesy of my father), hammer and nails. I think the kids were surprised and just a bit nervous, what had the youth pastor come up with now? I then passed out paper to everyone and told them they were to take some time in silence and off by themselves to think about one sin, one practice, one event, one thing for which they felt tremendous guilt or regret and felt they needed some forgiveness for. They were then to write that on the piece of paper, fold it closed, and we would gather back together when everyone was ready.

The kids scattered through the large room and there was utter silence.

In a short while, people started coming back together and in fairly short order we were all gathered. I then lifted the hammer and nails and said it was time to embrace the forgiveness. One by one, the kids took that hammer and nailed their sin to that cross. Some shared what they had written, others couldn't. Some hammered with calm intention, others did so trembling, and others started crying with the first blow. After they nailed the paper to the cross, they would stand, I would take them in hand, tell them they were forgiven by the blood of Christ and embrace them. The others would then also greet them with love and affection.

When we were all done, I tore all the sins from the cross and we threw them in the fire to show that they were gone, burned away...but the nails remained. That cross remained the centerpiece of our retreats for some years. It stood in my office (out of harm's and children's way) and would be lugged to every retreat, where it became a regular practice to nail our sins to it. My guess is no other cross meant quite as much to each of those youth as that battered, hole filled and nail riddled, rugged cross that had bore their sins.

I also believe, that in that, they found a truer sense of the man who did die on a cross, nailed their by our sins, who died so that those sins would be washed away forever. I think most of us still carry around something that we may need to, at least in spirit, nail to the cross and let go of. Find a way to come before that cross, and there to let go of whatever it is you carry. Christ died for those sins, died that we might be forgiven, and in being forgiven be set free.

Reading the story of Christ's death, it never fails to bring tears to my eyes, part of me always cries out against it, cries out in sorrow that Christ had to die for me, for my very sins. But he did, and since he did, I figure, at the least, I owe it to him to accept that forgiveness, to embrace it and in doing so, to let go of those things I should let go of. What about you?

For the complete listing of our Devotions, see our Devotions Archive