I remember the year when Rev Dr Jin Yang Kim, an elder in our conference, challenged his congregations to memorize Mark 14-15 along with him. He recited it on Passion Sunday. I worked on it but didn’t get it recital-ready!  

However, reading straight through the passage several times during Lent that year, I was transported mentally and spiritually to the original Holy Week. Every time I read the verses about the cruel beating and mocking of Jesus, my heart broke. Jesus didn’t have to go through all that, but our relationship with God depended on Jesus's being “the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).   

Jesus submitted to it for our sake. As we pray and fast on Good Friday, it seems a small thing to go without food for a little while. When hunger pangs strike, we are reminded to pray and give thanks for Jesus. We can take time to worship Jesus because he is worthy of our thanks and praise. In place of your meals, consider reading and meditating on Mark 14 and 15, as well as these passages: I Peter 2:9, Philippians 2:9-11, Revelation 5:13, and Psalm 29:2. 

I hope you choose to pray and fast along with the Discipleship Task Force this Good Friday. (Those who, for health reasons, should not go without food might consider eating only vegan—plant based—food.) 

Please also join the NIC Prayer Team as they pray for the conference at 10 a.m. on Friday. Click here to participate via Zoom. 

Here is a prayer from Seedbed that you may use to begin and end the fast: 

Lord, Jesus Christ,

I offer you this fast for your glory and my good. All I am and all I have I offer to you for your purposes in the world and my progress in your grace.

Amen.

“So let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise through him, which is the fruit from our lips that confess his name” (Hebrews 13:15).