- When I Survey the wondrous cross
- Father, forgive them
- My song is love unknown
- Today you will be with me in paradise
- Christ has no body now but yours
- Here is your son, there is your mother
- O sacred head surrounded
- My God, my God, why have you forsaken me
- It is a thing most wonderful
- I am thirsty
- God so loved the world
- It is finished
- Droop sacred head
- Rock of ages
For our Music & Words for Good Friday this year we’re using the last words of Jesus as he was on the cross and the paraphrasing of his possible thoughts, as imagined by Tony Ingleby. Alongside this there is a selection of music relevant to today, much of which looks, not only back to that day 2000 years ago, but beyond the grave and to his second coming which we know about with the benefit of the scriptures. We have included links to these musical pieces, which our choir would have sung live, but which are available on the internet, sung by others.
We suggest you read the words, and then at the appropriate points follow the links to the musical pieces online.
Song: When I survey the wondrous cross
Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDkuxEIcpdI
Father, forgive them. Luke 23:33-34
When they reached the place called The Skull, they crucified him there, and the criminals with him, one on his right and the other on his left. Jesus said, `Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.’
They shared out his clothes by casting lots. The people stood looking on, and their rulers jeered at him: `He saved others: now let him save himself, if this is God’s Messiah, his Chosen.’ The soldiers joined in the mockery and came forward offering him sour wine. `If you are the king of the Jews,’ they said, `save yourself.’ There was an inscription above his head which ran: `This is the king of the Jews.’
Forgive them, Father! They don’t know what they are doing.
They’re only doing their job, Father.
They’re only doing their cruel, heartless job.
They know they’re causing pain,
and hardening themselves against it has made them so cruel and heartless.
They know they’re causing pain,
but they don’t know who it is that they’re hurting.
To them I’m just a troublemaker, a rebel.
Just another Galilean to make an example of.
They don’t know that I’m your son.
They don’t know that my pain hurts you.
So forgive them, Father.
Restrain your wrath;
Restrain your legions of angels.
Allow them to continue their work.
Allow me to accept the agony.
Be patient Father.
By the power of the death which they inflict, but which I freely accept…
By the power of this cross to which they nail me…
By the power of this one, perfect and sufficient sacrifice
forgive them for assisting me in the ceremony….
Song: My song is love unknown
Click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv7OZSoA22w
Today you will be with me in Paradise. Luke 23:39-43
One of the criminals hanging there taunted him: ‘Are not you the Messiah? Save yourself, and us.’
But the other rebuked him: ‘Have you no fear of God? You are under the same sentence as he is. In our case it is plain justice; we are paying the price for our misdeeds. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come to your throne.’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly I tell you: today you will be with me in Paradise.’
I promise you that today you will be in Paradise with me.
Yes, Paradise today!
Not tomorrow like the politicians’ promises.
Not a brighter tomorrow for you to only dream about.
Not a tomorrow which never comes
and which, if it did come, would not measure up to your hopes.
But today … Paradise today.
That’s my promise to you.
What’s that you say?
You don’t deserve it? You haven’t earned it? You can’t possibly pay for it?
Yes, that’s true.
That cross where you hang is what you deserve.
Your death today is what you have earned.
And you’re certainly not going anywhere or doing anything now that you can offer in payment.
But I can pay.
That’s why I’m hanging here beside you.
I’m paying for your place in Paradise.
I’m paying your entrance fee into heaven.
It’s not cheap –
It’s costing me my body and my blood
And it’s costing me my life.
So it’s a precious gift…
and it’s yours for the asking…
Today…
in paradise…
with me.
Song: Christ has no body now but yours
Click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoV6R6qk4vY
There is your son. There is your mother. John 19:23-27
When the soldiers had crucified Jesus they took his clothes and, leaving aside the tunic, divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. The tunic was seamless, woven in one piece throughout; so they said to one another, `We must not tear this; let us toss for it.’ Thus the text of scripture came true: `They shared my garments among them, and cast lots for my clothing.’ That is what the soldiers did.
Meanwhile near the cross on which Jesus hung, his mother was standing with her sister, Mary wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother, with the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, Jesus said to her, `Mother, there is your son’; and to the disciple, `There is your mother’; and from that moment the disciple took her into his home.
He is your son… she is your mother.
I give you the gift of one another as family…
To care for one another, to console one another in your time of grief.
Yes, I know your sins hurt me; They are hurting me to death.
But this is no time for recrimination,
This is no time for division.
Now is the time for my family to draw together.
Yes, my family.
My family for a lifetime,
Perhaps for thirty years or more.
Obedient and humble from the beginning;
Faithful in a quiet way
With good advice to offer – ‘Do whatever he tells you!’
Not sure always when the right time was.
Fearful as my ministry burst out beyond the borders of your home and your experience.
Even trying to restrain and restrict me to what you understood.
But still family.
And also my family of a few short years, say three.
My family because you do the will of my Father.
And yet you too would be restrictive,
Keep my works to a select few,
Keep the greatness and the select seats for yourself.
But I love you;
You are my family.
Let all my family live together in peace and unity.
He is your son … she is your mother
Song: O sacred head surrounded
Click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XppXi_jZKWk
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Mark 15:33-35.
At midday a darkness fell over the whole land, which lasted till three in the afternoon; and at three Jesus cried aloud, `Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ Hearing this, some of the bystanders said, `Listen! He is calling Elijah.’
Psalm 22:1,2.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest.
My God, my God, why did you abandon me.
The nails I can stand.
The effort and pain of breathing I can accept.
The mockery, the insults and the rejection …
They hurt, but I’ve experienced them before in my ministry.
But this separation from … God ….
I even hesitate to shout ‘Father’
because this cloud of sin has separated us.
We who have been together since before the dawn of time,
we who have known each other’s every thought.
Was it not enough for me to become a man?
Was it not enough for me to limit our relationship
to that which was possible for a perfect, spirit-filled man?
Were not the physical and emotional pains enough?
No, they weren’t! I know they weren’t!
When we planned this together
we knew that I would have to go through this spiritual pain too …
The desolation of separation,
separated by the sin of the world.
Are you lonely too, on the other side of this barrier?
Do you cry out for your son?
Do you still think of me as your son?
Do you think of me at all …
or am I blotted out of your memory as well as your sight by this cloud of sin?
My God, My God, why did you abandon me?
Song: It is a thing most wonderful
Click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7rmwDR8nVg
I am thirsty. John 19:28-29
After this, Jesus, aware that all had now come to its appointed end, said in fulfilment of scripture, `I am thirsty.’ A jar stood there full of sour wine; so they soaked a sponge with the wine, fixed it on hyssop, and held it up to his lips.
Psalm 22:14,15.
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;
my mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
I am thirsty.
‘My throat is as dry as dust, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.’
Yes, the Psalmist had it just about right.
And how does it go after that?
‘You have left me for dead in the dust.
A gang of evil men is round me…’
Yes, that’s true enough too.
But then, that’s why I am here …
to be the saviour of those evil men.
So I won’t cry out for you to save me yet,
I won’t use the Psalmist’s cry for help.
These parched lips are not going to shout out for a last-minute rescue.
I must wait for the right time, when all has been completed.
But then I shall need to speak out.
I do have something to say, something to proclaim.
I need my voice to shout;
I have a victory to proclaim;
I have a final prayer to offer.
So give me something to wet my lips and loosen my tongue.
Anything will do –
A sponge soaked in vinegar or cheap wine.
Anything.
I am thirsty.
Song: God so loved the world
Click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5Akz6J8Rw0
It is finished. John 19:30
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
It is finished.
The struggle is over now.
Every hardship is behind me.
Every temptation has been safely rejected.
I’ve come through it all – even that desolation –
And death is coming to blow the final whistle..
And we’ve won
It is finished.
The full price has been paid.
The debt of sin has been settled in full
In this moment…
Or was it in the hours I have hung here?
Or those three years of my ministry?
Or the thirty years of my life?
It probably took the whole package.. and more..
But anyway, it’s finished now.
There’s no more to be paid,
No more for me to suffer;
No sin from eternity to eternity
which needs to be reckoned against a man and bar him from life
Because I’ve paid it all
It is finished.
The masterpiece of salvation is completed
And signed with my blood.
No more painting in,
No fine brushwork.
You can study the detail as carefully as you will and you will never find a fault,
Never find an imperfection or incompletion
Because it is finished.
Song: Droop Sacred Head
Click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCNhTSx9icY
Song: Rock of Ages
Click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V06JxOcR91M