Good Friday Lord's Supper
Claire Lynch writes:
The goal of this Good Friday meditation is to connect more deeply with the events of this day 2,000 years ago and to allow God to reveal his heart to us that we each might grasp more of who He is and who we are in Him.
This meditation can be done alone or in a small group, either in person or over zoom.
All you will need is a Bible, some bread and juice for the Lord’s Supper (due to Covid, we suggest each person brings their own bread and juice) and your own copy of this script - download a PDF here.
You may also like to have something to hand to write your thoughts on, as you sense God speak to you.
This meditation will take between 30 - 60 mins and is divided into sections. If you are in a group, you may like to share out who leads each section. All the text (other than the Bible passage) is written out for you, however this and the timings are suggestions, so please feel free to adapt it as you wish.
Being aware of God’s presence - 3 mins
Find a place where you can be quiet and undisturbed.
Get comfortable and relax. Let your breathing slow down.
Sit in silence and ask God to meet you during this time.
If you have things weighing on your mind or a to-do list buzzing round, take this time to give these to God. Ask him to help you relax or you could even write your thoughts down, so you can come back to them afterwards if needed.
You may find a breathe prayer helpful - simply as you breathe in, say the the words in your head or out loud, “You are with me” and as you breathe out, “and I am with You”. Repeat this slowly and thoughtfully as many times as you need.
The account of Jesus’ crucifixion - 5 mins
Matthew 27 :11- 60 - Read the passage slowly and carefully, allowing the passage to come alive for you.
Imaginative prayer - 10 mins
(You may find it helpful to read this section through first before you enter into it, or you might like to read it as you go)
We’re going to use the tool of imaginative prayer to do what the prophet Zechariah talked about hundreds of years before Jesus hung on that cross ....
....to look upon the one whom we have pierced.
Invite the Holy Spirit to guide your imagination, to bring you to the foot of the cross:
to hear the noise, the shouts, the wailing, the curses, the cries of suffering around you.
to smell the sweat, the dirt, the blood.
to see the crowds, the soldiers who crucified Jesus, the people who called for his crucifixion and are there to jeer, the followers of Jesus who are there to grieve.
Can you see Jesus himself?.....willingly hanging from the cross, choosing to stay when he could have all of heavens power at his disposal, but surrendering all claim to that.
Look upon the one whom we have pierced.
In your imagination, where are you positioned as you gaze upon the cross? Are you right at the foot of it, or are you far a way, are you looking down on it from above, or are you right in the midst of it?
Are you standing, kneeling, running?
It can be tempting 2000 years later to not sit in the horror of Good Friday because we know that Easter Sunday is coming but ask the HS to give you courage to continue to look and gaze, trusting that as you do so, God’s heart will be revealed to you.
Notice what is going on inside of you - what thoughts and emotions rise up? .....sorrow, joy, confusion, peace, love, anger, guilt.... or do you just feel numb?
Based on what is being stirred in you, enter into a personal conversation with Jesus (or God the Father or the Holy Spirit), speak heart-to-heart as if conversing with a close friend. Ask him what he wants you to know.
Take your time, no need to rush.
Respond to God in whatever way feels honest and natural.
The Lord’s Supper - 5 mins
Take this time to rest in what you sense God has shown you or spoken to you. Thank him for it.
Read : 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
As you take the Lord’s supper (eat the bread and drink the juice), use this physical act as a sign of you receiving what God has been doing in you through this time.
Share - 10 mins
If you are in a group, take a few minutes each to briefly share what God has been revealing to you and the impact that has on you.
If you are alone, you might choose to share this with a close friend when you next see them or you might like to write a journal entry to God, expressing your heart to Him.
Closing prayer
Thank you Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit for your presence with me/us today. Thank you for your kindness and for revealing more of yourself to me. Let me never lose the wonder of gazing upon the most dramatic demonstration of your outpouring love. As I go about the rest of my day, help me to carry with me what you have revealed and to allow you to embed it deep within my soul, that I may be utterly transformed by your love.
Optional questions for consideration/discussion:
How does Jesus’ suffering affect how I might view suffering in my own life?
How does Jesus’ example lead me to treat those who are suffering around me?
In response to the above questions, is there anything that God is prompting me to do differently?
When speaking of His death, Jesus used the following metaphor,
“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24)
Jesus spoke about and demonstrated that the way to experience resurrection life, is through death.
Jesus’ longs for us to live in the freedom of resurrection life now. Ask Jesus to show you:
“Are there any areas in my life that I need to let die, so that I may live in the fullness of the resurrection life you have for me?”