04/02/2021
Today is Good Friday, a day that God chose to bring His love for man to a crescendo through the sacrifice of His beloved Son. For His part, Jesus begins this day as a captive of religious men who claim to worship God, and yet whose eyes are covered, and sins are brought to the forefront through the bitter and self-serving treatment of God’s Son; their Messiah. Do we begin our day as Christians contemplating the horrors and humiliation of our Lord Jesus Christ, or the amazing love of God that His suffering reveals to us? Today the time is right, and has reached its fullness; God, after centuries of preparation, reveals His plan for our redemption to us.
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”
Romans 5:6 ESV
To be certain there will be much torture, humiliation, and suffering today as Jesus endures the worst that man has to offer, and breaths out His life on the cross, but love is a great mystery of God, and reveals itself in its full glory not in a kiss, but in the selfless giving of one’s self for another. God didn’t show us the depth of His love for us by sending His Son, no, He showed the true nature of His love for us by GIVING His Son...
““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 ESV
So on Good Friday the GIVING is realized, and Jesus is obedient, and humble as He submits Himself to this... the will of aGod. He is innocent, but not a victim, because He chooses to give Himself for this purpose.
“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.””
John 10:17-18 ESV
The disciples have been told several times that this day was coming, but they didn’t seem to understand the full power of Christ’s love, and divinity, until later... after His resurrection. On this, the day of the cross, they see only His death, and fear the man they have been following is gone. Many left Jerusalem to return home such as the two on the road to Emmaus, but we read that all the crowd who watched Him die on the cross began to beat their breasts... they felt He was dead, and thought that the amazing journey of faith they had been on was at an end.
“And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.”
Luke 23:48 ESV
Jesus, on the other hand, was not caught unaware, and knew full well what was taking place. He not only knew he would die, and pick His life back up, but He knew that by laying it down He was allowing God to express the incredible love that He felt for mankind. Jesus was foretelling this when He said...
““This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:12-13 ESV
So on this day, those many years ago, the world witnessed the terrible physical torment, and death of Jesus Christ, but that is not the full story of this day. God’s redeeming love for us is what today is truly about, and the suffering of His Son shows us the degree of His love. So as we go to our homes tonight we shouldn’t beat our breasts, or cry tears of hopelessness, we should see the love of God that surrounds us, and begin our quiet prayerful wait for the resurrection that will come in three days time.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your love that is so deep, and strong, that it has thrived from the moment of our creation, through the fall of Adam, the life, death, and resurrection of your Son Jesus, and now rests fully upon us as we celebrate your grace, and worship you in Spirit and Truth. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you whose love for us never wavers, and whose mercy and grace is upon us now, and forevermore. Praised be your name Father, for your unending love, and praised be the name of Jesus Christ who obediently gave His life for us. Help us Father as we grow in love and faith with each passing day. Never let temptation draw us away from understanding what you have shown us from Calvary, and continue to show us each day in Jesus. Wash us clean in His blood Father, and in this way find us perfected in Him, made righteous in your eyes, prepared for His return, and ready to make our home with you in eternity. Hear our prayers today as we thank you for all that transpired on Good Friday as Jesus suffered, your love for us was revealed, and the mystery of it was uncovered further as your Holy Spirit gave us understanding. Great are you our God, and greatly are you to be praised!
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:37-39 ESV
Rich Forbes