Good Friday
Have you ever wondered why it's called Good Friday? I'm sure there is a technical, even religious reason, and I'm sure you can find another blog article that will explain everything you ever wanted to know. But my question is this: how is the day that Jesus was killed called "good"?
The Son of God murdered by men. The Good Shepherd betrayed by his own. The Bread of Life torn into pieces. The king in a crown of thorns and a blood-stained undergarment. The pure and holy lamb of God unjustly accused and sacrificed. The living water became thirty. The man who welcomed children was abandoned. The one who loved sinners took the sins of the world upon him. The one who did nothing but heal and save and love was rejected, spat upon, stripped, shamed, beaten, mocked, abandoned, and crucified. How does any of that make a good Friday?
When I read the story of Jesus crucifixion this weekend, I wept. This is not normally something I do, thanks to my calloused heart that has heard the story so many times that it has lost its meaning. But not this year, not this time. I've seen so much pain and suffering recently that my heart couldn't bear any more suffering, especially not to my precious Jesus. How can this Friday be called anything remotely close to "good"?
I'll tell you why. Because God took the single most evil and devastating event in all of human history - the horrendous murder of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, on the cross - and transformed it into the one most glorious and beautiful act of love and salvation in the entire story of time itself. The timeline of history hinges on this event. Our very life depends on it. This cross has changed more people over the longest period of time. No other event even comes close. No other story has absolutely transformed my life like this one has. My world - no, the entire world - revolves around it.
The death of Jesus tore the curtain in two, the curtain that previously separated us from God, and gave us access by faith into the Holy of Holies and into the very presence of God himself. The cross payed the penalty of sin. The cross reconciled undeserving sinners. The death of Jesus brought eternal life to all who believe. The old, rugged cross is our life and salvation. "I will cling to the old rugged cross!" "How I cherish the old rugged cross!"
My eyes fill with tears again because Jesus is no longer on the cross. He is seated at the right hand of the throne of God, interceding on our behalf. His suffering is forever finished; his victory is eternally won. And by him, we are made right with God and are adopted into his family, becoming his beloved sons and daughters. We become heirs to a future glory that is imperishable, unfading, and unspoiled.
If God can take the absolute worst thing and turn it into the absolute best thing, how much more can we trust him with our sufferings?
I look at the cross on this Good Friday, and I see just how good he is. I see just how good his suffering was, and i understand how good my own suffering is. For if he suffered for me, I will gladly suffer for him. And if God redeemed the suffering of Jesus, I believe he will redeem our sufferings, too. Ashes to beauty. Mourning to dancing. Sorrow to joy. A spirit of despair to the oil of gladness. Troubles to testimony. Defeat to victory. Suffering to glory.
He takes broken pieces and transforms them into a mosaic that reflects light in a spectacular way that only shards can produce.
Oh to suffer with joy as Jesus did. "For the joy set before him, he endured the cross." Oh to believe that suffering indeed is good. Oh to see that Friday is good because of the resurrection power of Sunday. In the same way, our sufferings are good when they produce in us a resurrected life - a life dead to sin and alive in Christ. A life freed from the slavery of sin and ruled by the indwelling Spirit of God.
Good Friday. It is good, isn't it? It is good that we have a savior who suffered for us, that we might be saved. It is good that his victory is won and that he is seated at the right hand of God. It is good that we are his precious children. It is good that we live in his love and under his grace. It is good that God took the suffering of Jesus and transformed it into supreme glory, and it is good that he does the same thing for us.
The Son of God murdered by men. The Good Shepherd betrayed by his own. The Bread of Life torn into pieces. The king in a crown of thorns and a blood-stained undergarment. The pure and holy lamb of God unjustly accused and sacrificed. The living water became thirty. The man who welcomed children was abandoned. The one who loved sinners took the sins of the world upon him. The one who did nothing but heal and save and love was rejected, spat upon, stripped, shamed, beaten, mocked, abandoned, and crucified. How does any of that make a good Friday?
When I read the story of Jesus crucifixion this weekend, I wept. This is not normally something I do, thanks to my calloused heart that has heard the story so many times that it has lost its meaning. But not this year, not this time. I've seen so much pain and suffering recently that my heart couldn't bear any more suffering, especially not to my precious Jesus. How can this Friday be called anything remotely close to "good"?
I'll tell you why. Because God took the single most evil and devastating event in all of human history - the horrendous murder of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, on the cross - and transformed it into the one most glorious and beautiful act of love and salvation in the entire story of time itself. The timeline of history hinges on this event. Our very life depends on it. This cross has changed more people over the longest period of time. No other event even comes close. No other story has absolutely transformed my life like this one has. My world - no, the entire world - revolves around it.
The death of Jesus tore the curtain in two, the curtain that previously separated us from God, and gave us access by faith into the Holy of Holies and into the very presence of God himself. The cross payed the penalty of sin. The cross reconciled undeserving sinners. The death of Jesus brought eternal life to all who believe. The old, rugged cross is our life and salvation. "I will cling to the old rugged cross!" "How I cherish the old rugged cross!"
My eyes fill with tears again because Jesus is no longer on the cross. He is seated at the right hand of the throne of God, interceding on our behalf. His suffering is forever finished; his victory is eternally won. And by him, we are made right with God and are adopted into his family, becoming his beloved sons and daughters. We become heirs to a future glory that is imperishable, unfading, and unspoiled.
If God can take the absolute worst thing and turn it into the absolute best thing, how much more can we trust him with our sufferings?
I look at the cross on this Good Friday, and I see just how good he is. I see just how good his suffering was, and i understand how good my own suffering is. For if he suffered for me, I will gladly suffer for him. And if God redeemed the suffering of Jesus, I believe he will redeem our sufferings, too. Ashes to beauty. Mourning to dancing. Sorrow to joy. A spirit of despair to the oil of gladness. Troubles to testimony. Defeat to victory. Suffering to glory.
He takes broken pieces and transforms them into a mosaic that reflects light in a spectacular way that only shards can produce.
Oh to suffer with joy as Jesus did. "For the joy set before him, he endured the cross." Oh to believe that suffering indeed is good. Oh to see that Friday is good because of the resurrection power of Sunday. In the same way, our sufferings are good when they produce in us a resurrected life - a life dead to sin and alive in Christ. A life freed from the slavery of sin and ruled by the indwelling Spirit of God.
Good Friday. It is good, isn't it? It is good that we have a savior who suffered for us, that we might be saved. It is good that his victory is won and that he is seated at the right hand of God. It is good that we are his precious children. It is good that we live in his love and under his grace. It is good that God took the suffering of Jesus and transformed it into supreme glory, and it is good that he does the same thing for us.
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