Two: the great variety of people engaged in this drama: The hiding disciples. Pilate. Chief priests, scribes, elders, the council. Soldiers. Simon of Cyrene. Two bandits. Those who derided him. A centurion. The women (Mary, Mary Magdalene, Salome and many other women). Barabbas (a Greek name borrowed from Aramaic meaning “son of the father”). And the crowd.
Three: that God is in control, even when all that is apparent is chaos and wrong. God is acting to fulfill the covenant made long ago to Abraham, to bring about the reconciliation we could not earn, and to give us freely a life as children of God through this death of the Beloved. We cannot explain it. By faith we hang on “for dear life.” We hang onto the promise that God hangs onto us, forging our present and our future in Christ.
God of all apparent powers and chaos, we praise and thank you for your grace and provision in this "good" Friday and every day. Amen. — TS