Into Your Hand: Confronting Good Friday

by Walter Brueggemann, Richard Rohr (Foreword)

This set of seven sermons follows the traditional church sequence of "The Seven Last Words of the Cross" utterances that the gospel narratives place on the lips of Jesus. These utterances are drawn from the several gospel narratives. In the liturgical life of the church, however, the sequence has a significance and staying power of its own quite apart from the gospel narratives in which the utterances are embedded. These sermons take seriously the faith voiced by Jesus in his context of wretched abuse by the Roman Empire. They attempt, moreover, to connect that reality of faith and abuse in our contemporary world of concentrated, ruthless power. The intent of such sermons on Good Friday is to replicate for us in our context what such an interface of faith and abuse must have been like. These sermons were preached last Good Friday in the preacher's home congregation.

Genres: Theology, Christian

64 pages, Paperback

First published December 3, 2014

About the author

Walter Brueggemann was an American Christian scholar and theologian who is widely considered an influential Old Testament scholar. His work often focused on the Hebrew prophetic tradition and the sociopolitical imagination of the Church. He argued that the Church must provide a counter-narrative to the dominant forces of consumerism, militarism, and nationalism.

Reviews

[Longfellow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Into Your Hand: Confronting Good Friday is, as Brueggemann himself puts it, “seven homilies [which] were part of a three-hour service consisting in music and Scripture reading, the three hours with reference to the time when Jesus was on the cross.”

At forty pages total, each of these homilies is quite short, with the emphasis being on giving readers/listeners something significant upon which to reflect regarding the final hours of Jesus’s life. Each section combines reflection on a Psalm with reflection on a brief passage from one of the Gospels, and every reader--regardless of the state of one’s faith--will likely finding something worth pondering in each homily.

I’ll mention two observations that particularly struck me. The first is Brueggemann’s comments on Jesus’s last words according to the Gospel of John: “It is finished.” Brueggemann explains this is “not a statement of defeat or resignation” but “is rather God’s victory cigar.” The implications are liberating in numerous ways. The second observation that I hope will linger is a commentary on Jesus’s words, “Father, into your hand I commend my spirit.” Brueggemann points out that in Hebrew the word “spirit” is synonymous with “breath.” With this in mind, Jesus’s statement is not a reference to that enigmatic idea of an immortal part of his/our being but rather a literal reference to his human life (and equally human death). In Luke’s Gospel, immediately after speaking these words, Jesus breathed his last breath. This demonstrates not only the willingness with which Jesus relinquished his life but also his absolute trust in the Father’s ultimate goodness and care. Once again, the implications of this observation are liberating in numerous ways, ways that Brueggemann outlines clearly in a series of bullet points.

This little book will offer encouragement and ideas worthy of reflection at any time of year, but of course it is especially meaningful when read during the week preceding Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Bonus content = lyrics excerpted from Petra’s song, “It Is Finished,” from their Beat the System album (1985):

“They searched his face for anger
for vengeance in his stare;
instead of eyes that burned with hate
a look of love was there.
He prayed for their forgiveness
and bowed his battered head,
and no one knew the meaning
of the final words he said:

(It is finished) And the sky grew black as the night
(It is finished) And the people scattered in fright
The work had been done
redemption had been won
the war was over
without a fight.
It is finished.”

[Deirdre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book, one meditation a day, starting on Palm Sunday and ending on Silent Saturday.

I appreciated it! Brueggemann has some really excellent moments providing a well-rounded view of the cross: he talks about Empire and justice and love and sacrifice and victory. My favourite moment was the 'victory cigar' moment. I would recommend.

[Wim Otte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Door Jezus’ zeven laatste woorden, gesproken tijdens de executie, te verbinden met de psalmervaringen legt B. niet alleen een brug met het OT, maar brengt hij Jezus lijden en sterven ook dichter naar het gewone leven.

[Marty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent lenten meditation

[Michael Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read these as a daily devotion. So beautiful and insightful. Brueggemann makes me think of things about familiar texts that I'd never think of myself. Truly appreciate these insights of wisdom and deep spirituality on the words of Jesus from the cross.

[E. Hayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

A concise collection of homilies/meditations on Jesus' last words from his passion. A very good source for Lenten meditation & prayer.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Brueggemann. Highly recommended to plunge deeper into the beauty and tragedy of the cross.