...this Man, delivered
over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross
by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again,
putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be
held in its power. Act 2:23-24
This is Good Friday, a good, good day for you and me and
people everywhere. This is the day in
history when the veil was torn and the sky turned dark. It wasn’t a good day for Christ physically. He suffered beyond description for us to have
salvation and everlasting life. He was
tortured and beaten all night. After
that He had to carry His cross and walk uphill to the place He would be
crucified. He had to be exhausted and
way past the point of wanting to quit, but He knew that He was the only perfect
lamb to fulfill God’s plan. Even through
these horrible acts by evil men, Jesus persevered. Through His death on the cross He brought
hope and life to a dark world. It is Good Friday because this was the day
that God’s plan to save His people became fulfilled. This day had to happen so Jesus could rise
again on Sunday!
God Himself entered this chaotic world so He could mend the
brokenness for all mankind – permanently.
He gave His son to death. He
allowed His son to be sacrificed in our place, to take the punishment of our
sinfulness. Now we have freedom and
peace. Now we have hope and joy and life and light. His suffering and death on the cross brought
us freedom, healing, and peace.
The
goodness of Jesus's love and sacrifice at Calvary is immense, permanent, and
priceless. It is inseparably connected to His life on earth before that, and to
His Resurrection. What happened is part of a longer story that involves all
humanity and it is part of a more-than-human setting that involves Father, Son
and Holy Spirit. When Jesus died, the
sacrifices were all finished, because they were all fulfilled in Him.
Take some
time today to think about what was done for you on Calvary. Thank Him for the sacrifice He gave for you
and reflect on your life, and your relationship with Him.
Join us
this evening for our Good Friday service at 6:00 PM in the Worship Center and
for our Easter services at 5:00 and 7:00 PM on Saturday and 9:00 and 11:00 on
Sunday morning.
Scripture to Claim:
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD." 1 Corinthians 1:30-31
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD." 1 Corinthians 1:30-31
