Jesus Is Our Redemption
In the temple Jesus said, “If anyone keeps my word, he will never see death” (John 8:51). For Jesus came to taste death for us—to drink the cup of suffering to the dregs in order that we might be released from its power. Clinging to His life-giving words, we are delivered from death’s sting and its eternal judgment. Christ is our High Priest, who entered the Most Holy Place and with His own blood obtained everlasting redemption for His people (Heb. 9:11–15). He is the One who was before Abraham was, and yet is his descendant. He is the promised Son who carries the wood up the mountain for the sacrifice, who is bound and laid upon the altar of the cross. He is the ram who is offered in our place, who is willingly caught in the thicket of our sin, and who wears the crown of thorns upon His head (Gen. 22:1–14). Though Jesus is dishonored by the sons of the devil, He is vindicated by the Father through the cross.
The Ceremonies of Passiontide
The final stage in our symbolic journey toward Easter is Passiontide, which begins with the 5th Sunday in Lent. The crosses are now covered and even the Gloria Patri disappears for a while.
A common question is, “Why do we drape and cover the crosses as we get closer to Good Friday, as our attention upon the last hours and the sufferings of Our Lord increases?”
We do this because we donʼt deserve to look upon the cross. We are not worthy of the Sacrifice. The cross is our greatest and most cherished symbol. So it is partially taken away from us for a short time, that we might better appreciate it when it returns.
The crosses are not taken away completely. They are not removed; they are covered. We can see outlines of the crosses, but their beauty and details are fuzzy. This symbolizes the reality that our grief prevents us from seeing clearly until the Good Friday liturgy and, of course, Easter.
This also reminds us of Our Lordʼs actions in response to the violence of the people in this Sundayʼs Gospel, and as a sign of judgment against them, the Lord “Jesus hid Himself.” That is why normally the crosses are veiled during the Service after the reading of the Gospel. The idea of removing the Gloria Patri is much the same. The Triune Name given at the Ascension is the fullest revelation of Godʼs Name given to men. To take away the Gloria Patri for two weeks is a bit jarring. It is particularly awkward not to sing it at the end of the Nunc Dimitis. Its short-term removal serves to draw attention to it.
All of this is that we would learn to mortify our own flesh and to depend more and more upon the grace of God in Christ. For never, even in our most somber of ceremonies, is the Church in doubt about the end. Jesus died, but He is not dead. He lives, never to die again. Easter is coming. Our Alleluias, Gloria Patris, crosses, the foods from which we have abstained, and the like shall all return, but even better than that, we shall have them forever in heaven when our own resurrections occur.
Passiontide extends through Holy Week and the Triduum (“three holy days”—which includes Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday). At the conclusion of the Maundy Thursday Service the Altar will be stripped, and the Sanctuary decorations, such as the candelabra, will be removed. Even the main crucifix will be carried out, only to be carried back in during the reproaches on Good Friday. All that will be left in the Sanctuary are the immovable pieces of furniture, laid bare. On Good Friday and the Easter Vigil, while all is bare, the normal responses and introductions are removed from the readings as the liturgy reverts to ancient forms.
The intensity builds from now until Holy Saturday when we finally arrive at the empty tomb. While we recall the death of Jesus and His empty tomb, His Altar is never empty; He is always there for us with His life-giving, sin-forgiving, holy Body and Blood.
