According to liturgical tradition, we always read the Passion Narrative from the Gospel of John
on Good Friday.
John the Evangelist cleverly arranged his account of the Passion and divided it into three "acts," each "act" having seven scenes, for a total of twenty-one. In this arrangement, in each act, scene one somehow corresponds to scene seven, scene two to scene six, scene three to scene five -- and scene four is right in the center. It is this central scene which John wants to emphasize above all.
—In Act One, that central Fourth Scene has Jesus accepting the Will of the Father: though Peter and the rest flee in terror, the Christ will be true to God, no matter the cost.
—In Act Three, Scene Four, true to his Word, the Christ dies on the Cross, in fulfillment of his pledge to the Father. As he has done for eternity, the Christ has received the Father's love and now returns it to him. Because of the events of Holy Thursday, when he joined us to his own Body and Blood, when he goes to the Cross, we go with him.
—But the primary point of John's Passion is dead-center: Act Two, Scene Four: the Crowning with Thorns. Though humanity fails to see his glory, because of Christ's obedient worship the Father has "bestowed on him the name above all other names," and given him the crown of life as King of Creation.
Where does our salvation come in?
As Paul says, if we have suffered with him, we shall reign with him. And we do suffer with him, because on Holy Thursday he united us inseparably to himself in the gift of Eucharist. When he goes to the Cross, we go with him! Therefore, as the Father raises his faithful Son to life, so will we be raised, all who have been united to him.
