The Medium and Message of ‘Good Friday’

I waded through a rough timeline of the time Jesus was crucified today. When we think about the crucifixion and the time Jesus spent on the cross we usually imagine it to be a fairly short time. Nail him to the cross, He dies, put Him in the tomb. Done deal, let’s get ready for Sunday.

 

But by waiting through and actually contemplating the time that our “Scape-goat” spent paying for my sins and yours on a Roman crucifixion beam – it was gut wrenching. To think of the hours that the Logos, the creative/rational/mind of God, by whom, for whom, and through whom all things were made, spent on an old rugged cross – hours and hours feeling the most excruciating pain. No wonder we’re already talking about “Sunday is on it’s way” before the ninth hour even hits.

 

My challenge to you is to stop and reflect on the wonderful thing that Good Friday truly is. 

 

In His book, “Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man,” author Marshall McLuhan, a Canadian philosopher of communication theory, makes a very profound statement : “The medium is the message.” The medium…is the message. Let me illustrate. In scenario A, I write my wife a wonderfully beautiful love letter and email it to her. In scenario B, I write the same letter with the same words, but instead, I hand write it on paper and lay it on her pillow for her to discover before she goes to bed. The medium (the email/hand written letter) is the message (how much I love my wife). The medium, the way in which I choose to communicate my love to my wife is expressed far far more in a hand written letter, isn’t it? It says as much, if not more, than what is actually on the page! It communicates that I took time, effort and planning to express my love. It demonstrates that I have thought through (because you have to think much more slowly when writing than typing) my words with precision and taken time to actually FEEL what I’m writing and not merely emblaze the message in a Tweet or email at 100 words per minute. The medium is the message.

 

Now translate that to what Christ did today, Good Friday. The medium is the message. God chose to become one of us. Immanuel, oh take a moment to ponder that meaning. To become truly man – to feel emotion, hunger, betrayal, pain, the joys of sitting at a meal with friends, the hardship of work and toil, the anxiety of stress. What does the medium (the Word become flesh to take our curse) say about the message (His great love for us)? Reflect on that today. The way in which God went about fulfilling His plan of salvation says as much as the actual message itself doesn’t it? He didn’t take shortcuts, He didn’t take the easy way out – He took the time, He took the pain, He took the cross – for you and for me.

 

No sin goes unpunished. In a culture that highlights only God’s love but does not also emphasze His wrath and judgement, we cannot hope to grasp how wide and deep and long the love of Christ is without considering the judgement that should have been OURS, but was placed on one who was innocent in every way that we are guilty.

 

So take time to endure Good Friday. Yes, Sunday is coming and I look forward to it! But don’t pass up an opportunity to reflect on the message that is shown us through the medium – Christ become man, to take on the curse of God, for us who were far from Him.