The Service of Tenebrae beckons us into the shadows, but it does not leave us in darkness.

In the still hours of Good Friday, the Service of Tenebrae beckons us into the shadows. How should we observe the sacrifice that happened that day, a sacrifice of the immortal for mortal humankind? All of history pointed to that moment when the Son of God hung on a cross, suspended between the heaven he had left and the earth he had come to redeem. God promised to “remove the sin of this land in a single day” (Zechariah 3:9). But the cost? The death of the Creator for the creation.

We best observe this day by pondering our sin and meditating on the goodness and grace of our God. Rightly, Good Friday is the most solemn day of the church year, and our services that day lead us to Golgotha, where we as worshipers stand witness to the Lamb of God bearing the sin of the world. A Service of Tenebrae on Good Friday offers a time of austerity but not despair—one of deep reflection, yet one that radiates certain hope.

A time in the shadows

The word tenebrae comes from the Latin for “shadows” or “darkness.” Rooted in monastic practice dating back to the ninth century, Tenebrae was a service of prayer, psalms, and Scripture readings observed in the final days of Holy Week. Over time, its most striking feature—the gradual extinguishing of candles—emerged as a poignant symbol of Christ’s suffering and death.

Christian Worship: Service Builder offers a “Service of the Seven Words from the Cross” that can be observed as a Service of Darkness (Tenebrae). The service provides a time for the church to hear her Savior’s words from the cross and meditate on the magnitude of his sacrifice.

The service begins with the lighting of seven candles: one for each time Scripture records Jesus speaking during the crucifixion. The first word from the cross reminds us why we are here and what we are watching: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). It is why Jesus had come, and it is our reason for returning to the place of the Skull year after year: forgiveness.

The service provides a time for the church to hear her Savior’s words from the cross and meditate on the magnitude of his sacrifice.

After each reading, one of seven candles is extinguished. The house lighting is lowered, and as the service progresses, the darkness grows. In the gathering dim, we are reminded that God shrouded creation in darkness for three hours on the day of his Son’s death. Each successive candle reinforces the sense of inevitable movement toward the moment the seventh word announces the death of Jesus: “ ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said this, he breathed his last” (Luke 23:46). We ponder the unthinkable: God has died in the place of sinners. After the reading, the seventh candle, still burning, is carried out of the sanctuary, leaving the church in darkness.

A time to reflect

The gradual dimming of the light during the service creates a unique atmosphere for meditation.

Each extinguished candle challenges worshipers to confront their own sin—the reason for Christ’s suffering. Yet, it also invites reflection on the profound love of God, who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all.

In the silence and in the shadows, the account of Jesus’ burial is read. Brave Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus carry the body to its resting place. The child once wrapped in strips of cloth for his manger bed is wrapped again in strips of cloth to rest in his tomb.

But even as we hear him laid to rest, the words in the account remind us that the story does not end here. The Service of Tenebrae beckons us into the shadows, but it does not leave us in darkness. Even as the final candle is carried away, we know that its absence is temporary. Spices, linen, tomb, garden—these words point our hearts forward. They portend what we know will happen when Easter dawns—what gives us certain hope in the darkness. We know that it is only Friday, and Sunday’s coming (S.M. Lockridge).

Click to see how the final moments of the Service of Tenebrae offer hope.

Photo | Mel Anne Designs

Author: Jonathan Schroeder
Volume 112, Number 03
Issue: March 2025