Today is Good Friday, the darkest of days, when Christians remember the crucifixion of Jesus and stand by him in his suffering. It is also a dark season in the world, with the Trump Administration endangering global security, targeting immigrants, abandoning climate legislation, dismantling the social safety net, eviscerating education, and unleashing corporations to wreak unregulated havoc on the earth.
I grieve. I enter and face the darkness. Contemplating the death of Jesus in prayer and holding space for that story throughout the day grounds me in the painful reality of Jesus’ time and of ours. It is a reminder of the cross in the midst of creation.
To continue with our story of the events leading up to the death of Jesus waited and prayed in the garden until he was arrested and taken into the city and ultimately to his death. Judas betrayed him, Peter denied him, and his disciples, except for the women who “stood at a distance, watching” (Luke 23:49), abandoned him. Herod questioned him and turned him over to Pilate, who in turn questioned him and then, as the crowd that had gathered to demand the release of Barabbas called for Jesus to be crucified, sentenced him to death. The Roman soldiers stripped him, whipped him, and put a crown of thorns on his head. Passersby ridiculed him with the same words the devil had used to tempt him in the wilderness: “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross” (Matt 27:40). Pilate had an inscription put on the cross that mocked him and the entire Jewish nation: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” (John 19:19). Near the end, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Then he “gave a loud cry and breathed his last” (Mark 15:34–37).
The death of Jesus was not a transaction between God and sinful human individuals to save their souls from hell. None of the Gospel accounts portray God planning or directing the execution of Jesus to punish him in place of sinful humanity or to uphold God’s honor. God is free to forgive already. Jesus taught that truth throughout his life and demonstrated it in his prayer for his killers, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Rather, God sent Jesus (as God in turn sends us) to heal, teach, proclaim, and demonstrate the good news of God’s all-inclusive love. J
Clearly, such a life was (and is) a threat to the powers. Jesus’ proclamation of the coming reign of God threatened the domination system of his age, as it threatens all systems of domination. The powers that rule the world must set conditions on love to enforce obedience. They pretend that God is at the top of systems of domination, but this lie is exposed in the crucifixion of Jesus as a subversive. God is not at the top of such systems but at the bottom, in solidarity with those who suffer the systems’ harmful effects.
Jesus had settled for himself long before that being a beloved child of God meant being at odds with the world’s power structures. He had been tempted early on to seek status, wealth, and worldly power. Instead, he chose the foolishness and weakness of Love. He chose “the wisdom of God in a mystery,” which the rulers of his age did not understand. “If they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1 Cor. 2)That is why Jesus died— because the ruling Powers killed him. They could see no other way.
Now, the choice is ours. How will we live our lives? What does it mean to follow Jesus in our time?
Good Friday, Not a Transaction is the fourth in the Holy Week Series: “Why Did Jesus Die: The Story Without the Dogma.” See also Palm/Passion Sunday: An Alternative to Empire, The Cleansing of the Temple: Direct Action as Exorcism and Maundy Thursday: Gethsemane and the Will of God.
This Holy Week 2025 Series, “Why Did Jesus Die: The Story Without the Dogma,” Is based on Sharon Delgado’s book, The Cross in the Midst of Creation: Following Jesus, Engaging the Powers, Transforming the World.
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