Good Friday and the Language of Sacrifice
Shouldn’t Good Friday be called “Bad” Friday? After all, it’s when Jesus was crucified.
Radical Sin, Radical Savior
It was a horrible thing that we human beings killed our creator. He came to us in lowly form, as a poor baby in a manger. He taught, he healed, he preached, he loved, he forgave. And not in spite his grace and love, but because of it, we could not bear him. He so radically challenged our fallen human system, that we had to get rid of him. The Lord Jesus had to give up his life for us.
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In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
Galatians 4.4-6
The Ultimate Sacrifice
Yet, he offered himself up as a sacrifice; no one could force Jesus to go on the cross. He gave himself up — for us. Proving that we do not need to appease him with our sacrifices, our God came to live among us. He gave himself as the ultimate sacrifice. It is finished (John 19.30). How strong can God say we don’t need to sacrifice ourselves and our children to appease him? He came here and let us sacrifice himself! Nothing remains for us to sacrifice on earth. We’ve even sacrificed the Son of God!
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
John 10.17-18
Christ’s Death Examined
Why would God enter our world, be a human, and then allow us to kill him? It sounds barbaric to many ears today! Why barbaric; because our Christian faith itself teaches us that we should not kill. It teaches us that we don’t need to sacrifice our children, as our pagan ancestors did. Jesus’ death teaches us that God does not demand appeasement.
For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
Psalm 55.16
Avoiding Extremes by a Two-Fold Sacrifice
During the English Reformation, the reformers were tempted to do just that. They noticed that people believed the priest was re-sacrificing Jesus on their behalf in every Eucharist. They worried that people would forget that the ultimate sacrifice was complete. And yet when they looked at Scripture, they saw the language of sacrifice everywhere, including the New Testament. What to do? Archbishop Cranmer solved this conundrum when he noticed that the Old Testament included two types of sacrifice. One was the once-a-year sacrifice on the day of atonement, for the sins of the people. The other was a “sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving”.
He added the phrase “of praise and thanksgiving” after “sacrifice” to the liturgy to retain the sacrificial language and remind us that we are not re-sacrificing Christ. Instead, we are offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving as we participate once again in his once-for-all sacrifice. We receive his body and blood, just as in OT times, the priests consumed the food from the sacrifices.
Why the Cross?
However, this all still leaves us wondering why it is so crucial to talk about the cross on Good Friday and every Sunday. Aren’t we past all this sacrifice stuff? Who is tempted to sacrifice their children, or an animal, or some other bloody sacrifice nowadays?
Satan, the god of this age, frequently tempts us to sacrifice ourselves, our children, and everything we hold dear. This temptation stems from our fallen human nature. Every person innately feels the need to appease this idol. Sacrificing to appease this deity has existed since the dawn of human history; it defines our essence, actions, and inclinations.
For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
1 Thessalonians 1.9-10
Modern Idols Rebuffed
In today’s world, we may have turned away from the “bloody sacrifices” of our ancestors (although some would say our modern warfare indicates we haven’t). Our addictions prove we still offer our bodies up to the god of this age. Even when we don’t kill our physical bodies, we offer our souls, our children, our careers, our sexuality – anything – to stop the sounds of shame, guilt, and fear, or to satisfy the ruthless demands of pride. Anything to stop it! Appease these idols!
Our Temptation for Vain Sacrifice
Even as Christians who know the Gospel and believe in God’s unmerited grace, there is temptation to sacrifice ourselves to earn his favor or trust. Go to church on Sunday, live a holy life, stop being a grouch, and so forth. All good things; yet so easily turned into sacrifices to appease God. Human cultures have sacrificed everything we are, everything we have. St. Paul says that ultimately, we believe we are sacrificing to God, but in reality, we are sacrificing to the demonic. God does not require our sacrifices.
Representing the Crucified Christ
So, on Good Friday, we once again represent Christ crucified. We will not remove the language of sacrifice from Good Friday, Eucharist, or our faith. We love people too much for that. The Gospel of Christ crucified speaks to humanity’s deepest longing: God invites us to rest in His finished work, trust that He has done it all, and look to Him for salvation.
May Christ guide you this Holy Week to a blessed Easter of Resurrection, as you pass through Good Friday on the way.
Photo by Thuong Do on Unsplash
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