2026-04-10: Good Friday 11th Hour

Events of Good Friday

• 3 Religious (Jewish) Trials: Annas, Caiaphas, Sanhedrin
• 3 Civil (Roman) Trials: Pilate, Herod, Pilate
• 6th Hour: Crucifixion
• 9th Hour: Death of Christ
• 11th Hour: Taking Down from the Cross
• 12th Hour: Burial of Christ

Order of the 12th Hour

1. Opening the Curtain and changing the curtains to red
2. Prophecy from Lamentations of Jeremiah 3
3. Doxology of Pascha
   • One group inside, one group outside
4. Psalm Pekethronos
5. Four Gospels
   • Read quickly because the Lord was buried quickly
6. Exposition
7. 400 Kirie Eleyson
   • 100 East, West, North, South
8. Procession
   • 3 Altar, 3 Nave, 1 Altar
   • 12 Long Lord have mercy
9. Golgotha
10. 150 Psalms
    • First three psalms out loud
    • The rest inaudible

Paradoxes of the 12th Hour

• One of the themes of the 12th Hour is the Paradoxes
  • The Light of the World… in Darkness
    
  • The Way the Truth and the Life… Dead
    
  • The Resurrection and the Life… Buried in a Tomb
    
  • The Judge of all… judged and condemned
    
  • The King of Glory… without a throne
• The Church reflects these paradoxes and more with the prophecy of the Lamentations of Jeremiah, and the Psalms of the hour.

Two Psalms

• The first one shows one side of the Paradox:
  • "They laid me in the lowest pit, in dark places and in the shadow of death. Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me."
  • The King is dead. He is buried. And His soul is in Hades, in the shadow of death and in the lowest pit.
• The second Psalm shows the other side of the Paradox:
  • "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; Your royal scepter is a scepter of uprightness. Myrrh and stacte and cassia pour forth from Your garments."
  • His throne is forever and ever - the heavenly throne. 
  • When any King dies, his throne is given to the next one to reign... that's the norm. But not with This King. Because although He died, His throne is forever and no one can take it.
• The beginning of the second psalm - "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever" is the hymn ⲡⲉⲕ̀ⲑⲣⲟⲛⲟⲥ. And these Paradoxes are also reflected in the tune of this hymn
  • It starts very somber... very mournful
  • Then it picks up "A -Alle ey ey..."
  • And by the end, it is a royal or rejoicing theme - "Ey eye eyyy ye eye eye ey"
• See how the Church is cultivating our senses and our mind to understand the deeper meaning!

Lamentations of Jeremiah

Even more than this, is the reading of the Lamentations of Jeremiah. The Prophecy of the 12th Hour.

Context

• Israel was split into two kingdoms - north and south. The north is called Israel and the south is called Judah. And all of the kings of the north were evil and corrupt and worshipped idols. And most of the kings of the south were the same. So the Lord brought His judgment on these kingdoms.
• The Assyrians came forth and took the northern kingdom captive. They tried to take the Southern Kingdom, but because of the prayer of King Hezekiah and the Prophet Isaiah, the Lord did not allow them to conquer. They were unable.
• So the Lord gave the Southern Kingdom approximately 130-140 years more mercy.
• This is the time when Jeremiah lived. And Jeremiah kept preaching repentance - repent because a captivity is coming. And he even preached how long the captivity would last. But the people did not repent.
• And in his lifetime, Jeremiah witnessed the captivity of the Southern Kingdom - the destruction of Jerusalem, the destruction of the city wall, the towers, the houses, the royal palace, the Temple. Imagine that the Temple represents for you the presence of God in your midst... and all of a sudden it is destroyed. This means that God's glory has left the city.
• He is lamenting - weeping over Jerusalem.
  • Although he prophesied about it happening, when it happened he didn’t gloat at them; he didn’t say “I told you so” - he didn’t say “you should have listened…”
  • But he mourned; he wept; he lamented
  • He wrote Lamentations.
  • He wrote it as a song for those who are in captivity to sing it… to reflect on the fact that they did not repent; they did not return to the Lord.

• “How lonely sits the city That was full of people! How like a widow is she, Who was great among the nations! The princess among the provinces Has become a slave!

  ³ Judah has gone into captivity, Under affliction and hard servitude; She dwells among the nations, She finds no rest;
  All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.” (Lamentations 1:1, 3)

Structure & Interpretation

• Five Lamentations
  • 1st, 2nd, 4th - 22 verses each; based on the Hebrew alphabet
  • 3rd Lamentation - 66 verses; every three verses are based on a letter of the Hebrew alphabet
  • 5th Lamentation - also 22 verses, but not based on the alphabet
• The point of making acrostic songs or poems is so that they are easy (for the Jews) to memorize them to be able to sing them often
• The Church arranges for us to read Lamentations 3 in the 12th Hour of Good Friday at the hour of the burial of the Lord Christ
• Structure of Third Lamentation
  1. The passions of the Lord Christ (1 - 21)
     
  2. The hope in God’s mercies (22 – 39)
     
  3. A call to repentance (40 - 42)
     
  4. The fruits of sin (43 - 54)
     
  5. A comfort for the believers (55 - 66)
• Interpretation of Lamentations
  • When we read these lamentations, we can interpret each one and each verse in three dimensions
    • Historical - where "I" is Jeremiah
    • Christological - where "I" is the Lord Christ
    • Personal - where "I" is Me

Passions of the Lord Christ

Verse 1

"I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath." (Lamentations 3:1)

• Jeremiah
  • Even though the Jews tormented him, his family betrayed him him, the kings wronged him, he was beaten, he was humiliated, he was imprisoned, in the end he says "I have seen affliction by the rod of God's wrath"
  • He doesn't blame the affliction on anyone, doesn't get upset... I am seeing what God permitted to happen to me for my sake - for my good, for my growth, for my adjustment.
• Me
  • I have seen affliction - I have endured hardship in my life; difficulties, struggles. But do I cry and complain and blame... or do I surrender to God and say "God you know best." If this is from you, I accept it; and if it is not from you, I know You have a plan and You will take it and bring something good from it.
  • Of course, not everyone is at this level - but at the very least, we have all seen affliction.
• Christ
  • The Christological meaning is that the Lord Jesus bore the afflictions this whole week.
  • "Surely He has borne our griefs
    And carried our sorrows;
    Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
    Smitten by God, and afflicted.
    But He was wounded for our transgressions,
    He was bruised for our iniquities;
    The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
    And by His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:4-5)
  • It is an affliction of love - an affliction of the gladness of salvation

Verse 2

"He has led me and made me walk
In darkness and not in light." (Lamentations 3:2)

• Jeremiah
  • Jeremiah was literally thrown in dark places throughout his ministry... at one point he is thrown into a dungeon and in the dungeon there is mire and he sinks in the mire... mud! Another several times he is imprisoned in various jails or stocks.
• Me
  • When I am confused and I don't see God's direction in my life... this is a darkness
  • When I feel spiritually dry and far from God's light... this is a darkness
• Christ
  • Where is Christ in this hour? In a tomb; in darkness and not in light. He, being Light of the World, is laid in the darkness of the tomb. And besides that, His soul went to Hades... the place of darkness and the shadow of death.

Verse 3

"Surely He has turned His hand against me
Time and time again throughout the day." (Lamentations 3:3)

• Jeremiah
  • Usually when someone goes through something difficult, they are waiting for it to pass... but with Jeremiah, time and time again throughout the day, problem after problem; hardship after hardship; affliction after affliction; pain after pain.
• Me
  • Sometimes I feel this way
• Christ
  • To the people watching the Crucifixion, they would think that God had turned His hand against the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 8

"Even when I cry and shout, He shuts out my prayer." (Lamentations 3:8)

• Jeremiah
• Me
  • Sometimes I feel this way - God is silent. He is not answering my prayer... is he even hearing my prayer?
  • Here is a prophet, a man of God, who felt the same way. 
• Christ

Verse 14-15

¹⁴ I have become the ridicule of all my people—
Their taunting song all the day.
¹⁵ He has filled me with bitterness,
He has made me drink wormwood.

• Jeremiah
  • Constantly mocked throughout his life
• Christ was mocked and taunted even on the Cross
  • People said "If You are the Son of God, come down from the Cross!" (Matthew 27:40)
  • Chief Priests said "He saved others; Himself He cannot save." (Matthew 27:42)
  • Soldiers offered Him sour wine, mocked Him by hitting Him and telling Him "prophesy... who hit you?"
• Me
  • Am I afraid of being the ridicule of the people, for the sake of the truth?

Hope in God’s Mercy (22-39)

“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.” (‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭22‬-‭25‬)

• Through the Lord’s mercies, we are not consumed… what is God’s mercy
  • “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬)
    
  • He did not consume us because of our sin
  • He did not even wait for us to overcome sin before accomplishing salvation
  • But while we were still sinners, He died for us
• His compassions are new every morning
  • Every morning is a new chance for repentance
  • A new opportunity to use our free will to glorify God instead of to betray Him
• The Lord is my portion, says my soul; therefore I hope in Him
  • Hope!!!

“It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man to bear The yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone and keep silent, Because God has laid it on him; Let him put his mouth in the dust— There may yet be hope. Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him, And be full of reproach. For the Lord will not cast off forever.” (‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭26‬-‭31‬)

• Very Christological

Although we are looking now at Christ buried in the tomb, we have hope. Hope in the Resurrection. Hope that this is not the end.

Call to Repentance (40-42)

But the hope is not just a “feeling” it’s not just something we “say” - but it is a hope based on action… the action of repentance.

“Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the Lord; Let us lift our hearts and hands To God in heaven. We have transgressed and rebelled; You have not pardoned.” (‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭40‬-‭42)

• Repentance is a LIFE
• Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord
  • This is not a one time action
  • This is a LIFE of continuous renewal
• Every day examining myself; every day turning back to the Lord; every day lifting my heart and my hands to God

Fruits of Sin (43-54)

“We have transgressed and rebelled; You have not pardoned. You have covered Yourself with anger And pursued us; You have slain and not pitied.”

”You have covered Yourself with a cloud,” - I will not be able to see God’s work in my life

• Those who are far from God, are not able to recognize the blessings in their life and the good things that God does in their life
• Even if they recognize good things, they don’t attribute them to God
• Maybe it’s not even on their mind - who is God? He is just someone out there behind a cloud; I can’t see Him, I don’t know Him
• Some people they wake up every morning and they stand before God in prayer… for this person, God is present.
• Some other people, they wake up every morning, and they remember to pray… but they don’t… God is present but I am weak.
• For others, they wake up in the morning and God is not on their mind. He is behind a cloud.

“That prayer should not pass through.” - My prayers will not be answered

• Imagine someone is praying for blessing in his life, but he loves a sin and doesn’t want to repent from it. So why would the Lord bless his life? If the Lord blessed his life, it would have the opposite effect… he would say “The Lord must approve of my lifestyle” if the Lord blessed his life, he would continue to live in his sin
• But when I am far from the Lord, when I am refusing repentance - my prayer will not be answered. 

“You have made us an offscouring and refuse In the midst of the peoples. All our enemies Have opened their mouths against us.” - Enemies on the earth

• Sin also bears bad fruit on earth - that I can have enemies; I can be accused even here on the earth. Sometimes the Lord will allow us a hardship on earth in order to reorient us to Him

”Fear and a snare have come upon us, Desolation and destruction.” - Fear (when someone sins, they have guilt and fear… remember Joseph’s brothers)

• Sin bears fear… remember Joseph’s brothers. After they sold Joseph, they lived in guilt and fear for the rest of their lives. Whenever something bad would happen they would immediately think “this is because of that sin that we did when we sold our brother”

“My eyes overflow with rivers of water For the destruction of the daughter of my people. My eyes flow and do not cease, Without interruption,” - Tears, sadness, lamenting

• Tears, sadness, lamenting
• There is an epidemic of depression in our society today… why? Because of sin and corruption
  
• Because I am not attached to the One who gives life; the source of joy and goodness

Comfort for the Believer (55-66)

“I called on Your name, O Lord, From the lowest pit. You have heard my voice: “Do not hide Your ear From my sighing, from my cry for help.” You drew near on the day I called on You, And said, “Do not fear!” O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life.” (Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭55‬-‭58)

• But when I find myself bearing the fruit of these sin and in the lowest pit, what shall I do?
• Let me call on the name of the Lord
  • ”I called on Your name, O Lord, from the lowest pit. You have heard my voice.”
  • It reminds us of Jonah - who didn’t call on the Lord until he was in the belly of the great fish until he was in Hades!
  • But when He called on the Lord, the Lord answered
• And this also shows us the Christological meaning
  • The Lord now is in the lowest pit. In the belly of the great fish. In the depths of Sheol
  • And He is there to redeem my life
  • But on the third day, He will rise again

Conclusion

Let us take the blessing to hear the Lamentations of Jeremiah and try and meditate on the words we are hearing. Not just to be attracted to the beauty of the tune or the hymn, not just to have an emotional response - but let us have a spiritual response! Let us sing this lamentation as the Jews in exile would sing it, let us sing it with a heart that is yearning for the Lord, and may the Lord soften our hearts to live a life of repentance.

Glory be to God