I have always felt “Good Friday” was an oxymoron, a mis-label, and spin put on the most horrible events in human history. On this day, creature put to death Creator, man rebelled violently against Messiah, and liars ruled supreme over the truth of the Lord. On this day, everything was help in balance … but only because of the grace of the Lord who held back legions of angels and an eternity of power to have the King of Glory pay the ransom price to liberate us from our bondage to death.
Despite it’s naming history, “Good Friday” is really Hard Friday. Only God’s might and mercy make it different. So for this weekend, I offer you two images and thoughts about the grace of our God and the gift of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The first image is all about hard Friday. Let it remind you that the King of Glory faced what endured because of His love for you and His desire to set you free from “the law of sin and death.”
The second image is a reminder why Sundays are so important. On the first day of the week, especially the Sunday after Hard Friday, Jesus was raised from the dead. Resurrection Sunday changes everything. We get to celebrate it in each weekly cycle on each successive Sunday and once a year on Easter. These cycles, one tied to the week and the other tied to Jewish Passover, remind us of the Lord’s victory over death and His commitment to be with His people. He is with us, Immanuel, whether they are opening his word and remembering His story (Matthew 1:23), living in genuine community and worship (Matthew 18:20), sharing and serving others with compassion (Matthew 25:40), or crossing cultural boundaries to walk along side people and see Jesus come alive in them as disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). So look for the Lord among the living, not the dead!
The challenge is to remind ourselves that what Jesus did, He still does. Hard Friday and Resurrection Sunday are not something long ago and far away, but they can be real for us, now. We mustn’t forget the sacrificial grace and the glorious triumph are still within our reach!
Written by philware
April 2nd, 2010 at 7:20 am
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