Good Friday
How can something so good be so bad, and yet obtain for us the eternal good, should we choose to accept it.
How many times have we said in our lives why did this have to happen? When life seems all bad it is hard to see anything good.
I am sure as the people close to Jesus saw and heard of the horrid things the authorities were doing to him. They watched him, almost unrecognizable as a man because of the beatings, weak in body, blood sweat and tears mingled together dripping off him as he struggled to carry that cross through the streets.
And that was not all, they had mocked him as “king of the Jews” by putting a crown of thorns on his head, the mockery itself shaming, but the spikes of these thorns were driven deeply into his head by those who mocked him.
Can you imagine the despair in the people in his inner circle of friends?
Some even knew the truth but this was too gruesome to even resemble any truth they had heard.
They were trying to believe, trying to hold on…wanting to help yet knowing a step forward would put them right in the path of death too.
John trying to comfort Mary, and the others huddling together as to share the faith and hope they had, just by being close.
And these scenes were not the end, their beloved Master would be flung down on the cross, nails forcibly penetrating hands and feet.
The pain of that must have been unbearable, only rivaled by the bare against the rough cross.
After that was done, they hoisted the cross up and dropped it into the waiting hole to hold it in place.
Pressure on his hands would be excruciating, wide open back scratching on the splinter filled wooden cross, then the crushing pressure of not being able to breathe, straining and struggling for each breath.
He would have to push up on his pierced feet, causing yet another surge of pain to be able to get a breath, then drop down suspended by his arms again.
All the while bleeding from the beating, getting weaker and weaker by the moment. Then near the end had a sword driven into his side.
There is no way my words or the words of anyone else could fully paint the horror he endured.
And yet, it was so much worse in the unseen realm of the spirit.
He was also laden with all the sin of the past, present and future.
I am sure it ripped at his soul like nothing we have ever encountered and was more painful than almost anything any human could do to him.
One more level of pain
There was yet one more level of pain, His Father had to turn his back on him. This assuredly would have been the worst pain, Jesus had to endure.
The Father could not watch His son as He paid the price for all the sin.
He loved His son,
yet the longing for the reconciliation of mankind
to him, to them,
was the reason Jesus had come!
Although many others thought he came to set up his kingdom on earth, some thought He would overthrow the rulers of the day. There were so many thoughts, so many theories. Yet none could have foreseen this except the One, the triune God.
And although the Father could not look upon the sin that was now on His Son, I am sure…
anguish must have filled his heart,
yet love stopped him from commanding legions of angels
to come and rescue His son.
For that would have undone the plan,
the only plan that would truly redeem mankind.
Sure, sacrifice of lambs, and goats had been a covering, done once a year to displace the sin. Much like the goat, they would pray, and put the sins of the nation on the goat and send it out of the camp, to picture the carrying away or removal of sin from them,
but the only one
who could once and for all
pay the price for all mankind
permanently
was the sinless lamb of God.
Many have put these thoughts to paper, script, or screen. They read, verbalize, and act the truth, or some variation thereof, but…
The key for us now is to believe, receive and accept them not only as truth but as truth relevant to me.
As truth that opens the door to a wonderful and meaningful eternal relationship.
Not just one that we wait to heaven to begin.
But it begins the moment we believe and accept what He did for us.
Many people reading this, will have already believed and received His precious gift of salvation and opened the door to that relationship.
Now, years later, let us not just view this as a Bible story, historical event, or just a holiday to finally be able to stay home or spend time with family.
Lord help us to be impacted once again by the immense love that it took for you to send your son. Knowing he would be tortured and killed, knowing that you would have to turn your back on your only son. Knowing that some, that you loved, planned and gave for, would reject, and yet you still gave.
Jesus still died.
Help us understand how deeply you love us.
How you crave a relationship with us.
Help us to treasure this love, nurture our relationship with you and allow you the full access to our lives that you died for.
Let these events penetrate our being and change us, let us fall deeper in love with you, and cherish each step of each day, hearing your voice all the way.
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