Good Friday Homily: Jesus Creates the Church

As part of the annual Community Good Friday Service, I spoke on John 19:26-27, expanding the context to include the previous scene beginning John 19:23.

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Jesus Creates the Church

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things.

In the next set of verses the reader is given a contrast.

But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. (John 19:23-27, ESV)

What is John communicating to us through this deliberate contrast between the soldiers vs. the women and Jesus? I believe it is Jesus’ vision for his church.

Let’s begin with six contrasts and comparisons:

1. The soldiers abuse and crucify Jesus / the women stand by the cross of Jesus
2. The soldiers divide Jesus’ garment into four pieces / there are four named women
3. The soldiers see that Jesus’ tunic is in one piece / Jesus sees his united church in his friends
4. The soldiers speak among themselves / Jesus speaks to his mother and the disciple
5. The soldiers want more for themselves / Jesus says each belongs to the other
6. The soldiers kill and divide / The church of Jesus Christ unites women and men into life under one new family

The soldiers represent the methods and the power structures of the world. Its modus operandi is “How can I get more for me?” Wealth, certainly, but also position, power, influence, authority – and these by whatever means necessary.

Jesus shows a different power. It begins at the cross – Jesus’ friends standing by the crucified one. It is the power of loving devotion – weakness to the world, but the only power that will bring together women and men, poor and rich, the uneducated and the educated, the marginalized and the privileged. It is the church.

When we come together to remember the cross, Jesus speaks to us the same words he spoke to his mother and to the disciple, “Behold, your son, your mother, your father, your daughter, your sister, your brother.”

Caring for one another is devotion to Christ. I hear John saying, “Imitate the actions of these women.” In so doing, we imitate Christ.

This fulfills Jesus’ command, “That you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12 ESV)