Good Friday is an awful yet wonderful day. Our sins, our failures, our longing for healing are met by love evidenced in God’s Son willingly dying this Day for a purpose!
“Good Friday?” It was a day of
treachery, cruelty, cowardice, and bloodshed. Judas sold the Man with
whom he had walked, talked, and shared life - Jesus - for just 30 pieces
silver. Hardened soldiers took sadistic pleasure tormenting Jesus.
Pilate expediently condemned Him to execution! His death was beyond
horrible as He hung on a Roman cross: naked, beaten, alone. Yet, we all
it good?
His humiliation and death was the ultimate identification
with humanity, broken by sin. "He made himself nothing; he took
the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he
obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a
cross." (Philippians 2:7-8, NLT) Good Friday was allowed by His Father
in heaven to finish the work of saving the world from sin. Easter’s
joy would not exist without Friday’s darkness.
Jesus stands alongside of us. He does not gaze down on us with pity, nor does He stand apart from us, pointing in judgment. He stands with us- the Sinless One becoming sin for us! With His obedience to suffering for the mysterious purpose of God, He invites us to renewal, to hope, to holiness, to a noble life of purpose. It is true!
If stupidity, selfishness, or just plain old human
choices have brought the world crashing down ‘round your head, He knows the
depth and will lift you up.
If the cruelty of another has broken you, seeming to steal your life, He can
restore.
If the evil of this world has come to crush you, He can rescue you and empower
you.
Will you invite Christ Jesus, the suffering Savior, to come and stand with you?
Will you pray for faith so that you will stand steady while you wait for the fullness of His salvation?
There is another choice. You can join those who hated Him. It is not likely we would abuse Him but if we treat His love with apathy, that too is a form of hatred.
Those who choose that road, deepen the darkness of evil. They become part of the evil conspiracy to steal hope. They feel the desperation of despair seeking relief in ever more sin.
The Scripture paints this grim picture of sin’s ‘progress’
if Christ is rejected. "For although they knew God, they neither
glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile
and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they
became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to
look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave
them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading
of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie,
and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever
praised. Amen." (Romans 1:21-25, NIV)
“But God,” the Bible says. “But God, who is
rich in mercy” (Ephesians 2.4) stepped in. Jesus came to us, God in flesh.
He walked with us. He died for us. He rose to lead us to life.
Resurrection Sunday will come but let’s not rush past Good Friday. That dark
day has its purpose. Remember, and live!
Make this word from the Word a thought for this day. "For God was
pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to
himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making
peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God
and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he
has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present
you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you
continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out
in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed
to every creature under heaven." (Colossians 1:19-23, NIV) Oh,
What A Savior!
____________
(Video of this
blog at this link)
Alas and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sov'reign die
Would He devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I
At the cross at the cross where
I first saw the light
And the burden of my heart rolled away
It was there by faith I received my sight
And now I am happy all the day
Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree
Amazing pity grace unknown
And love beyond degree
- Isaac Watts
