I heard of a preacher who repeatedly contrasted the despair of Good Friday with the Hope of Easter Sunday. After each point (and there were many) he would say ‘But that was Friday, and Sunday’s coming’.
For us as a church, Lent has been a journey to Easter Sunday. We know we are fallen creatures, we’ve heard (and responded to) Jesus’ call to repent, to love, to go. Maundy Thursday draws together Jesus taking, thanking God, breaking and giving the bread and wine, with the dismay as Jesus is take away; Good Friday confronts us with the terror of who we are: I did this, my sin is why he died. And then we wait; almost holding our breath; we wait.
And then Sunday comes: Jesus was dead but is no longer dead, resurrection is the word of the day. If, on Friday, he died for my sin, could Sunday include me as well? The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world is the Son of God who gives life (Jn5:21).
This is the journey to Easter – it is about death and life. Without death there is only old life, but in Christ, there is new life for those who believe.
Raymond