Darkness and light (Jn. 18–19)

First meditation

John 18:1-14 Jesus arrested
John 18:15-18 Peter’s first denial
John 18:19-24 The high priest questions Jesus

It’s dark – it’s the middle of the night. Some of the disciples may have managed to get a little bit of shut-eye, but Jesus has been on full alert all night. His concentration seems to be unaffected as the soldiers surround him and the questions start to come from the high priest.

Jesus makes no heroic speech to make his righteous cause known to the world – he’s already done that. He doesn’t reveal his true motive and make a dramatic play for freedom and victory, like we might see in a classic film like Troy or Gladiator. But here, he doesn’t stay silent, either.

Moments earlier, Peter gets the chance to defend his Lord, but he knows that it could well cost him his life. He plays it safe, like any of us would in that situation.

Did Peter make the right call? Was it better to deny Jesus on that day so that he could live to fight another day? Eventually, he will preach the gospel and convert hundreds of people to the Christian faith. Was this all part of God’s plan?

Back to the trial. What is Jesus’ defence? “I’ve spoken openly to the world,” says Jesus. “I’ve said nothing in secret... Ask them. They know what I said.”

No one gets a chance to speak from the witness stand. No one gets to say what they heard Jesus preach – at least not here. That chance has been and gone for Peter – at least for now.

Regardless of whether Peter had the courage to stand up, or whether a witness was called in to give their testimony, nothing would stop Jesus from carrying out the task that he had been sent into this world for.

On Good Friday, we are bystanders. We can’t influence the outcome change the script. We simply watch for day to break. We wait for light to shine through. We put our trust in hope.

Second meditation

John 18:25-27 Peter’s second and third denials
John 18:28-40 Jesus before Pilate
John 19:1-16a Jesus sentenced to be crucified

As the sun begins to rise and daybreak appears, the darkness sets in even more. Peter is overcome with guilt and shame as he fails to pluck up the courage to put his love for Jesus into action, despite a second and even a third chance. When this is all over and they have Sunday breakfast together on the lake shore, Jesus will completely restore and forgive him. For now, the guilt and shame are all that he can see.

Meanwhile, the real trial begins. The religious leaders bring Jesus to Pilate to have him sentenced to death, since they don’t have the authority to do it. They were playing dirty political games, but they still want to keep ritually clean. They make Pilate come out to meet

them so that they aren’t defiled and can’t eat the Passover. Their self-centredness is plain for all to see.

Pilate knows more about this man than he reveals. He calls him the King of the Jews. Jesus responds with talk of a kingdom “not of this world” and the purpose for which he came into this world. Pilate hears every word – you can tell by the way he responds. “What is truth?”

He is also very culturally aware. He knows that someone needs to be released at the Passover, so that becomes the deal he puts to the people. Jesus is already considered a criminal, being put up against Barabbas. He is already held captive and his release is in the hands of the people he came to save.

It’s easy for us Christians to look at the crowd that day and see them to be blind to who Jesus is. They’d rather call Caesar their king.

We know who Jesus truly is, and we know that their desire to have him killed was all part of God’s plan. This is the way it was meant to happen. Were these people just God’s puppets in his grand theatre show?

There are still Jews today, remember. These people were not put there to be disposable. Jesus died for them just as much as he died for us. God wants all people to be saved.

Even Pilate, whose responsibility it was to keep the Jews quiet to maintain oppressive Roman rule, had his questions. Even he might have had a spark of faith in him.

Remember the Jews today.
Remember all non-believers today. Remember your non-Christian friends today.

Jesus went through all of this for them, too. Pray that they might one day see his light in all the darkness, as we do.

Final meditation

John 19:16b-27 The crucifixion of Jesus
John 19:28-37 The death of Jesus
John 19:38-42 The burial of Jesus

It should be the lightest part of the day – we’re now well into the afternoon – but darkness is the theme of the whole day today. We know that there is light at the end of this tunnel – which we eagerly anticipate – but for now, we wait in the darkness.

“It is finished.” The price for the sins of the world has been paid. All the suffering and pain was worth it. The goal has been achieved.

Even at the very end, it was Jesus who gave up his spirit. Everything was always under his control. It went according to his plan. It was his initiative and his decision-making that achieved all this.

Close followers of Jesus come together to pay their final respects for the man they loved and the teacher they learned so much from. Jesus is laid to rest.

He won’t rest for long—we know what’s coming on Sunday morning—but for now, he rests. We rest with him.

This is a time to be quiet. This is a time for you to ponder what this means for you. Jesus suffered and died for you. This afternoon and tomorrow, think about what that really means for you.

Jesus died so that I don’t have to hold that grudge against that person anymore.
Jesus died so that I can forgive people even when that’s unfair on me.
Jesus died so that I can share my faith with nothing to be afraid of.
Jesus died so that I don’t have to be ashamed of my past anymore.
Jesus died so that I don’t have to live in the darkness anymore.
Jesus died so that I can live.