The format for today is a bit different than our usual weekly edition. There are two things to keep in mind as you prepare. The first is the Scripture, from Mark’s Gospel, will be read in a participatory manner. The narrative is a bit long and this will help keep everyone engaged. The parts are listed below. The second is in response to the Scripture. You are invited to take a walk or a drive and take pictures with a camera, a cell phone or to draw a picture of what you see. Full instructions are provided below.
Teaching points to incorporate in discussion or to answer questions that may arise:
- “Good” Friday is the day Christians intentionally remember Jesus’ crucifixion and the sacrifice he made on our behalf.
- It is called “good” not because what humanity did to Jesus was good, but because what God did through it was good. Jesus’ death, and on Sunday his resurrection, brought the grace of salvation for all of us.
- Between the end of the Last Supper and Friday morning, the following things happened:
- Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to pray and the disciples followed him.
- He asked them to pray and he went into the garden to pray by himself.
- During his prayer he asked God to stop what was going to happen, but if it was God’s will then he would be obedient.
- Jesus returned to find the disciples weren’t praying, but had fallen asleep.
- Judas, the disciple who took payment of 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus, comes with a crowd to the garden and kisses Jesus on the cheek. This was the sign to Jesus’ enemies that the man was in fact Jesus.
- Jesus was arrested and was taken to the high priest’s house.
- Peter followed at a distance. When he was asked if he was with Jesus, Peter denied it. In fact, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times that night, just as Jesus said he would. When Peter realized what he had done, he wept.
Begin with prayer
Today is called Good Friday, but we can’t seem to see what is good about the day you died, Gracious Lord. But we know that God works good out of human evil and we give thanks for the goodness that emerges from this day. We thank you for your sacrifice and your willingness to do God’s will. Give us the courage to live in ways that reflect our gratitude for the grace your Son brings to our lives. Amen.
Scripture
Ask members gathered in your family to take one (or more) of these roles:
- Narrator
- Soldiers
- Priests
- Pilate
- Jesus
- Crowd
- Women
- Joseph of Arimathea
Read Mark 15:1-47 from the NRSV or CEB.
Engage in dialogue:
- Which part of the story is most difficult to hear and live with? Why?
- Why do you think Judas betrayed Jesus?
- Why do you think Peter denied Jesus?
- Why do you think the crowd chose Barabbas?
- When have you gone along with the decision of a crowd and later regretted it? Why did you initially decide to go along even though you knew deep down inside it probably wasn’t a wise decision?
- Why did the soldiers hurt and mock Jesus?
- When have you mocked someone and then realized it must have hurt them?
- Why did Jesus cry out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
- When have you felt alone? What helped you get through it?
- Why do you think Jesus didn’t save himself even though he had to power to so?
- Where were the disciples, Jesus’ closest friends and followers, in this story? Where were the women who also followed Jesus?
- Where do you think you would have been, if you were there when Jesus was crucified? Why?
Additional teaching points should they be needed:
- It can be hard to leave the story right where we did. Our inclination is to rush to the Good News of Easter morning.
- It is important that we stay in Good Friday today. On that day and on through Saturday, Jesus is dead. It’s difficult to sit with the idea that Jesus is dead.
- However, if Jesus weren’t really dead he wouldn’t have been fully human and God would not have needed to resurrect him.
- Being a disciple sometimes means we have to stay with the hurt and pain of others.
- This is only possible because we trust God and we know God keeps holy promises.
Activity
For a deeper reflection on, and a response to, the Passion Narrative, take a walk or go for a drive in the car and take pictures of scenes that speak to the story we read today of Jesus’ crucifixion. Look for images that remind you of some aspect of the reason why Jesus was crucified or that embody an example from our current context of one of the factors or parts of the story. If taking a walk or going for a drive with a camera does not work for your family, consider looking through magazines/newspapers, browse the internet for stories or simply draw a picture that connects the ancient story of Christ’s sacrifice, and the reasons for it, with what is happening around us today. Once you have finished this exercise, retell the story in your own collective words using the pictures you have gathered.
Close with prayer
Help us to see, O Lord, the pain that is still around us. Let us recognize the broken places where your deliverance is still needed. Then, O God, give us the courage to make Christ’s healing love known so that your Son’s sacrifice on the cross is not in vain. Amen.
REBECCA DAVIS is the associate professor of Christian education at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. A teaching elder and certified educator, she served congregations for over 20 years before moving into academic teaching. In addition to teaching and mentoring students, her passion is child advocacy and ministry.
