May we place at his feet all that we have and all that we are
On that very first Good Friday, the day that our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, a cruel and horrible death, he gave his all for us. He was willing to suffer that hideous death for us! “He opened wide his arms for us on the cross” are words (from Eucharistic Prayer B, Common Worship) that always paint a powerful picture for me. They remind me of the sacrifice that Jesus made of himself for our sake, for my sake.
I’m not very sure of the theology surrounding Good Friday. For a long while I was convinced by the penal substitution view, where Jesus took the punishment for our sins. But I find it quite difficult to accept that the God of Love would demand such a punishment of anyone, let alone his own Son. Then I remember that, although we talk of the Son as being almost separate from the Father, two beings, they are actually all a part of the same God. And, whatever the reasons behind the crucifixion, whatever the theology, it was God himself on that cross; it was God himself, in his human form, who sacrificed himself on the cross for me, that’s how much he loves me!
Jesus did so much for us — loves us so much that he was willing to do what he did for us — shouldn’t we, at least, give ourselves back to him. He doesn’t ask us to make the same sacrifice for him that he made for us, but he does want us to let him into our lives. And the place we do that, on Good Friday especially, is at the foot of the cross.
All that I am, and all that I have, I place at your feet Lord Jesus. Take them, and use them, to do your work, in whatever way pleases you. Your gift to me was your life on the cross, my gift to you is my life. Amen.
Eternal God,
in the cross of Jesus
we see the cross of our sin
and the depth of your love:
in humble hope and fear
may we place at his feet
all that we have and all that we are,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Additional Collect for Good Friday
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council
About Paul Sibley
Andrew Gosden (now 16) has been missing from his Doncaster home since 14 September 2007. The search continues.
The answer is that Jesus did die for us, but it wasn’t by means of Penal Substitution.
I’m just finishing a debate with a Calvinist on this very issue:
http://catholicdefense.googlepages.com/psdebate
Hi Nick, and a warm welcome to the blog.
Thank you for taking the time to post a link to your penal substitution debate. I’m going to be in Walsingham for a few days next week, and have quite a lot to do before I go, so I won’t get much time to look at the material until I get back.
It will be a great help to read the arguments for and against penal substitution. My thoughts have certainly moved away from that view over the years. But in moving from a view that I held instinctively, I haven’t really been able to explain, or even understand fully, where they’ve moved to.
No problem Paul. I have email follow up enabled for any updates.
I’m glad people are willing to take a fresh look at this, and see both sides of the debate. That way you can be convinced one way or another.
I do try to keep an open mind on things (not always successfully), and listen to all sides in a debate. Sometimes I can be convinced enough to vary my point of view; other times I find my own opinions strengthened.