Were You There? A Good Friday Sermon by Deacon Terry

​So, I ask that you grab the dark blue hymnal and turn to hymn number 172.
An African American Spiritual hymn written about 1899
Written by once enslaved African Americans, people who could relate to
the pain of the Cross
Many of us are familiar with this hymn and I ask you to look it over to
refresh your memory

Were you there when the crucified my Lord?
Yes – I guess I was – sort of – I don’t really recall
Were you there when the crucified my Lord?
Yes, I said – I guess I was, sort of
Ooh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
It really does – but what was I to do?
Where you there when they crucified my Lord?
I told you – I was – sort of

Where you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Well, I did see something – but I didn’t do it, they did
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Well – I may not have spoken up – when I should have
Ooh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
You’re telling me – I feel just terrible about it

Were you there when they pierced him in his side?
Well, it’s not like I had a spear or anything
Were you there when they pierced him in his side?
It wasn’t me I tell you
Ooh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Yes, it does – I guess I should have stopped them

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Well – I did follow the crowd
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Ya, I guess I was – it was really sad
Ooh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
I know – it was really a creepy feeling
Each of us are there, in each of these scenes. We are there along with
Pontius Pilate, the politician, a seeming scapegoat caught in the middle, in
his feeble way trying to free Jesus. But when it appears to risky to do the
right thing, he washes his hands of the situation.
We were there.
We were there with the soldiers, who were simply following orders, afraid to
speak up, step out, be ridiculed as they kill the Lord of life.
Yes, we were there.
We were there along with the disciples who walk, rather, run away for fear
of their lives, rather than standing alongside the condemned Jesus.
Yes, we were there.
The cross is not an isolated event, sealed in ancient times. It is the living
truth of our world then, as much as it is today. The hard truth is, we live in a
world that would again kill Jesus.

We all have a place on Calvary. There wasn’t a single motive in Jerusalem
that last week in Jesus’ life that isn’t happening here in our world, in our
hearts or in our minds today.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said:
He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to
perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really
cooperating with it.
Of course, we live in a time of crucifixions aplenty.
Mass shootings, murders. Gun violence. Ongoing wars in Afghanistan and
parts of the middle East. Where we see people dying or suffering every
night on the 6 o’clock news.
We are there
The tragic invasion of Ukraine from one egotistic maniac, who has no
regard for human life or human dignity. Where we witness suffering on
children, someone’s child, someone’s grandchild and helpless people.
We are there
The economic mess that has been so hard for so many around the globe
and devastating for millions who are already just barely surviving. Where
we witness hunger, homelessness right on our own streets.
We are there
Our earth is being crucified everyday by human recklessness in its refusal
to end the carbon poisoning of our planet. The refusal to acknowledge, that
we are responsible for our Great Grandchildren’s poisoned earth. Where
we just keep consuming.
We are there
Prisons and death rows are bursting at the seams with people our society
has abandoned. Where we chose as a society to lock the wrong up in
anger, rather than rehabilitate in love.
We are there
And, daily each of us, hurt, ignore and wound those closest to us.

Through words and actions, we often make without thinking.
We are there
A cross of nails is not always needed to crucify.
Jesus was killed by people like you and me. People who didn’t want to get
involved, take a risk, speak out. People that stayed the course, didn’t rock
the boat. Stayed safe.
What a terrible thing to say to us gathered here today on this Good Friday.
We could have stayed home, if we wanted to hear this
We are here today, because we know – We were there, when they
crucified the Lord”
We can’t let ourselves off too easy, nor fail to see our part in our world’s
pain and brokenness or, we miss a deep truth about Good Friday – the
chance to know the forgiving love that flows from the cross.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Yes, we were there – though indirectly
We are there. NOW
The gospel account of the crucifixion seems calm and objective. Jesus
seems almost serene throughout – the trial, carrying the cross, even
hanging from that cross for hours.
Our gospel writer seems to know that no words could capture the reality of
what happened:
But strangely, at the same time, there is something incredibly strong and
powerful about Jesus.
Jesus refers to the death he will face as
“being lifted up”
He said:
“When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself”.
He seems to have the sense that in his death God the Father would do
something to change the world.

Little does everyone realize, that it is GOD the Father who is in charge. Not
Pilate, not the soldiers, not the onlookers, not us.
If people see God’s endless love for what it is, if we see a love that will face
every way we hurt, manipulate, damage, ignore and even destroy each
other, and if we see God still loving and forgiving us ,then something new
begins for each of us.
You see, this cross is what God uses to bring us him.
God is not an emperor, a president or politician in the sky keeping a
scorecard who will force this world to change.
The power GOD has to change us and to heal our world is to win our
hearts
To show us perfect, unstoppable love, a love that keeps pouring out
moment by moment.
The love of the Cross – The Love he shared, when he could have chosen a
different path.
God – through his Son chose Love
Today, on this Good Friday, GOD shows us that love can forgive and heal
all that we and our lost human race have done to each other and our world.
So as the African Americans some 120 years ago asked:
Were you there when the crucified my Lord?
YES – I WAS AND I STILL AM
PLEASE – FORGIVE ME!
AND THANK GOD SUNDAY IS ON THE WAY!
AMEN