Good Friday

“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:4-6).”Today we celebrate Good Friday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus. Using a word such as “good” to describe the events of that day sounds more like an oxymoron. Good suggests that His death was something to be desired or approved of yet what Jesus experienced was not good. Some may consider the description of His crucifixion as unbearable and too upsetting to hear but it happened. He was nailed to a large wooden beam and left to hang until He died either from exhaustion and or asphyxiation. And He did it for us! That’s the part that’s difficult to fully grasp especially if you take a moment to examine yourself to see the sin that lies within you. Yet, He looked beyond our sins and determined we were worth dying for. What kind of love is this? Surely not the kind that we will ever experience in our lifetime unless it is through the love of God.What makes Good Friday good is knowing that Jesus’ selfless act, His sacrifice removed the sting of death and unfortunately the world has experienced hundreds and thousands of deaths over the last few weeks. His death ushers in hope, the hope that for those who died in Christ (those who believed in Him) have a promise that death is not the end but the beginning. The beginning of a new life where there is no more death but life eternal with Him.Jesus’ death was not in vain. The cross was not some pretty ornamental monument but a representation of suffering and yet I love that cross because that cross represents life. He is our blessed hope, God’s promise to us for us. It is a Good Friday!