Brian Lee on Why We Should Celebrate Good Friday

Our good friend and pastor of the other "Christ Reformed Church" (in Washington, DC), Dr. Brian Lee, has written an essay for the Federalist on why we should celebrate Good Friday.

Why Celebrate Good Friday?

Comments

[George]

Yes, all good reasons. I also noticed that you held a Maundy Thursday service, too, at your church there in SoCal, something that nearly all evangelicals (and many P/R) refuse to do. Good for you. There are many things said and done by Christ at the Last Supper that set the stage for his (mock) trial, (false) conviction, and (illegitimate) crucifixion soon to follow, without which we'd all be lost. And the foot washing, in particular, presents a framework for the behavior of the future Church that follows the resurrection.

[Kim Riddlebarger]

George:

Far more important than foot-washing (which is not sacramental) is our Lord's fulfillment of the Passover, and subsequent institution of the Lord's Supper. Since we are a congregation which celebrates the Lord's Supper weekly, I like to use the Maundy Thursday service to discuss the meaning of the sacrament. Always good to be clear about the basics of what we do and why.

[George]

Kim - agreed. No, the foot washing is not sacramental, nor do I think was meant to be taken in the sacrificial kind social service way that many evangelicals take it nowadays. Instead, I find it meaningful to interpret the event in the context of the way Jesus answers Peter when he's been told that without the foot washing he has no place with him. Peter, always one for the superfluous, of course then wants his whole body washed. Jesus says no, you've had a bath and your whole body is clean (forgiveness of sin through baptism), but your feet will get dirty again and you need to wash each others feet (you will go on sinning, therefore you need to forgive each other for those sins on a regular basis as you "walk" through life). In other words, it seems more metaphorical than literal.

In any case, God's blessing to you, your family, and your congregants this week!