The Lord be with you on this Good Friday of the Year of Our Lord, 2020!
The inscription that was placed above the head of Jesus on the cross used to crucify Him read “INRI”. The first “I” used in place of “J” for the name “Jesus”. The “N” standing for “Nazareth”, the town where Jesus was from. The “R” standing for, in Latin, “Rey”, or “King”. And the second “I” used in place of “J” for the word “Jews”. So, the inscription was an abbreviation for the words “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”.
Indeed, the name of Jesus has been raised above every other name. For, at the name of Jesus, every knee must bend, in this world and in the world to come.
So it is, that on this Good Friday, as we are faced with the challenges of a pandemic, we lift up the name of Jesus of Nazareth as our King.
Scripture:
In Isaiah the prophet’s words of prediction:
“….. so shall he startle many nations, because of him kings shall stand speechless…..
it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured…..
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed.” (Isaiah 52)
“My trust is in you O Lord;
Take courage and be stouthearted, all you who hope in the Lord.” (Psalm 31)
“We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way.” (Hebrews 4)
……. through the Passion of Christ. Amen. + In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen