(with inspiration from Johann Gerhard's Sacred Meditation “The Fruit of Our Lord's Passion”)
Behold, dear Christians, the Lamb of God who is killed for you this day. Hear of His suffering so that you might be set free:
Our Lord's suffering begins in a Garden because it was in a Garden that our first parents were deceived and fell into sin. Jesus is betrayed and handed over to His enemies because we were betrayed by the serpent's craftiness and handed over into sin and death. Jesus is arrested and bound because we were bound by the strong cords of sin and death from which we could not free ourselves.
Jesus stands before the Council and is mocked so that we might stand before God and be comforted. Jesus stands accused before the high priest so that we will not stand accused before the Father. Jesus is struck and beaten so that He might stop the blows of the devil and the judging sting of God's Law from striking us. Jesus suffers the denial of His close friends, so that He will never deny us but confess us before the Father as those for whom He died.
Jesus stands before Pilate in silence so that we will not have to stand silent on the Last Day before our Judge. Jesus speaks of His kingdom before Pilate to rescue us from the kingdom of darkness. Jesus gives witness to the truth because we so often think to lie to God. Innocent Jesus takes the place of guilty Barabbas so that He might also take our place, the innocent for the guilty, the just for the unjust, the righteous for the unrighteous, the Lamb of God in the place of sinners.
Jesus wears a crown of thorns, the proof of God's curse on this world, to become a curse for us so that we who were cursed in our sin might instead be blessed by His death. Jesus is mocked and made sport of because we so easily mock and make sport of God's Word and Name. Jesus endures the shouts to crucify Him so that we will never hear such a judgment of condemnation from our Lord. Jesus is weighed down by the burden of His cross so that He might lift from us the burden of our sins.
Jesus is nailed to the cross because we have pierced ourselves with the grief of our sins. Jesus is called the King of the Jews because we want to rule our own lives. Jesus has his clothes stripped from Him and divided up so that we might be clothed in Baptism with Him and His righteousness. Jesus gives His mother into the care of His apostle so that we might be given into the care of His church. Jesus thirsts and drinks the sour vinegar so that He might quench our thirst with the sweet wine of His blood given for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus declares that our salvation is finished so that we are rescued from every effort and attempt to save ourselves.
Jesus dies, so that we might have life. His side is pierced, letting blood and water flow, so that we might be washed at the holy font with this saving flood and drink from the cup His saving blood. Jesus gives blood and water from His side so that we, whose parents ate from the tree that brought death, might have the fruits of the cross, our eternal life. Jesus is wrapped in linen so that we will be wrapped in His robe of righteousness for a protection against death. Jesus is laid in the tomb so that our graves will be sanctified and be the place from which He will raise us from the dead, just as He is risen.
On this Friday, all that was Bad was heaped upon our Lord so that we might call this Friday Good. For all that He did, He did for you. By His life, you are rescued from death. By His death you are given life. Happy Good Friday in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
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