It’s Good Friday, the day we remember Jesus’ death on a Roman
cross. Why did it happen? Let’s make it
personal. What is the darkest, ugliest
part of your life, some choice you made, something you did, an attitude that
hangs on? What memory brings regret, is buried so deeply you hope no one else
remembers it? God sees it, knows about
it. That is why Jesus went to the Cross! Oh yes, much of sin is much more ordinary
than the moments just recalled. When we
are Self-willed, when we worship something or someone other than God, when we
choose to ignore or dislike another person, when we refuse to love – we sin,
too. But, those things are so common in
our experience we come to accept them as normal. But, that is why Jesus went to
the Cross, too! That is the UGLY.
Now the beautiful – there is an invitation offered to you, to me.
Here it is - “Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20-6:1) The Holy One calls us close, despite the filthiness. How can that be? Because the Son of God became a sin offering for us so that we could become beautifully whole and holy.
Now the beautiful – there is an invitation offered to you, to me.
Here it is - “Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20-6:1) The Holy One calls us close, despite the filthiness. How can that be? Because the Son of God became a sin offering for us so that we could become beautifully whole and holy.
Do not make the tragic mistake of many; minimizing your sin
by comparison, excusing your behavior with rationalization. Most likely you
have not brutally murdered anyone but have you assassinated another’s
reputation with malice? You have not
worshiped an idol god, but have you loved your money with a fervor like
religious devotion? Getting the picture
yet?
Isaiah does not spare the graphic description of our state without God’s
grace. "We continued to sin against
them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? All of us have become like one
who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags."
(Isaiah 64:5-6, NIV) Even our best choices are compared to dirty,
greasy rags!
And yet, God loved us. "But
God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners,
Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much
more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!" (Romans 5:8-9,
NIV) That’s
why Jesus went to the Cross!
Today, an ugly, beautiful day, let those thoughts weigh
heavily on you. Jesus once asked a
self-righteous man who loves most. The man
was deeply offended that Jesus would allow a prostitute to touch Him, to bath
His feet with her tears of gratitude and worship because of the release from
shame He gave. But the Lord reminded the man that his own sense of well-being kept
him from knowing God’s love. “I tell you,
her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love.
But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” (Luke 7:47,
NLT)
Spend some time with the ugly. I did! But, I looked past that to the
beautiful – my sins carried by a Savior, my relationship to the Father secured
by His willingness to become sin for me.
Ah, yes, this is Good Friday!
_______________
(worship at this link)
One day when heaven
was filled with His praises
One day when sin was
as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be
born of a virgin
Dwelt among men my
example is He
The Word became flesh
And the light shined
among us
His glory revealed
Living He loved me dying He saved me
Buried He carried my sins far away
Rising He justified freely forever
One day He's coming
O glorious day (glorious day)
One day they led Him
up Calv'ry's mountain
One day they nailed
Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish
despised and rejected
Bearing our sins my
Redeemer is He
The hand that healed
nations
Stretched out on a
tree
And took the nails for
me
One day the grave
could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone
rolled away from the door
Then He arose over
death He had conquered
Now is ascended my
Lord evermore
Death could not hold
Him
The grave could not
keep Him
From rising again
One day the trumpet
will sound for His coming
One day the skies with
His glories will shine
Wonderful day my
beloved one bringing
My Savior Jesus is
mine
O glorious day
glorious day
O glorious day
John Wilbur Chapman | Mark Hall | Michael Bleecker
© 2009 My Refuge Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
Be Essential Songs (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing
LLC)
Word Music, LLC (Admin. by WB Music Corp.)
CCLI License # 810055
Pastor Jerry Scott
FAITH DISCOVERY CHURCH
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