Every week as I drive to and from church, I see Red Jesus and Blue Mary.  Some days they whisper words of love and faith on days when I am struggling.  Sometimes I am challenged by the faith of the family who honors the Savior and Mother Mary and how they understand you can’t have one without the other.  Other times, I listen for the message they have for me on that day.

On this good Friday, I am trying to understand what Red Jesus and Blue Mary are telling me.  I have a vision of Red Jesus coming down from heaven and from his perch above the seahorses while he reaches out for humanity.  He’s red you see, because of his deep love for me and for you.  He’s adorned in red because of his blood that was shed for us as well.  His red robe shouts at me to draw near and to pay attention.  If I want to know how to really love someone, he can teach me.  If I want to really know how to sacrifice my comfort for one who is in need, he shows me the way.  If I want to know how to love God with all my heart, mind, and soul, Red Jesus guides me to deep and divine love.

Today, I want to shy away from his pain.  I want to turn away from seeing how my sin and the sin of humanity brought this day of his death.  I can’t though.  I can’t get to the joy of Easter morning without walking through this day of pain.  In this world of winners and losers, many thought Jesus and his followers lost, and they won.  They believed they won big.  But it was temporary.  The pain and sorrow of the day brought confusion for the followers but as they waited the day of joy came when the women went to the tomb and found the stone rolled away and the Savior resurrected.  He didn’t need to wear red because he appeared to his beloved and spoke truth and hope and life to them.  Maybe he wears red today because 2000 years later, we need a bold reminder of his life and death; love and sacrifice; gift and grace.

Red Jesus holds his hands out to me.  Today I will grasp them, give thanks, and weep at his feet.

As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.  They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).  There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.  When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.  And sitting down, they kept watch over him there.  Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.

 Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.  Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads  and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”  In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him.  “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.  He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”  In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.  About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink.  The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.  They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[e] went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.  Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus.  Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him.  Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.  Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.                                                             Matthew 27:32-61