I was at a Good Friday service at my previous church today. The pastor asked "Why is it called Good Friday?" He answered "It wasn't good for Christ, but it was good for us!"
Have you ever thought about how bad Good Friday was for Jesus?
I have, but only a little. It is hard to really understand - grasp - comprehend - experience. So I thought that perhaps if I wrote it... and then why not share it with you?
Deserted. Have you ever noticed that the stem of that word is "desert"? It feels like one. Vast, empty spaces, barren of life, except for a few small forms that daily bury themselves in the unrelenting sand. No water. No hope-only fading mirages in the far reaches of the desolate expanse.
That's how He must have felt.
Surrounded not by those who had followed Him now for three or so years, but by a bitter, scornful, greedy crowd. He could see the bloodlust in their eyes. Their creator they scorned so! The pot deriding the potter-you are worthless! You have not made me!
Blasphemy! What further need have we of witnesses? He has condemned Himself! By speaking only the truth!
The system He had set in place to herald His coming
The long line of priests that were shadows of His work
The Law and Prophets that pointed to His advent
Blasphemy! -This was their judgment of His appearance.
Crucify!
But Pilate could not find any charge against Him. The one understanding man-
The one who saw something of who He was-
he tried to save Him
he too disappointed. It was His will, but that did not diminish the hurt!
Crucify!
One more time Pilate tried to pacify the angry mob. Would they have Him, or Barabbas?
A little perspective...
Barabbas was a "notorious criminal" (Matthew)
A "murderer" and "insurrectionist", one who stirred up the worst in people (Mark)
Luke notes that this one was "the one they asked for"
Not their God, who loved them and offered them life
But Barabbas, who hated and offered them death
Crucify!
Pilate could not ignore the crowd. And then the horrific cry-
His blood be on us and our children!
Their God! The blood of their God on them! And what a legacy to bequeath to their children! The death of their God on their hands!
Forsaken
They had all left Him
By their actions and by their words they denied Him again and again
He who had served them for years
He who they had learned to love, because He loved them
Whose miracles they had seen
Whose gifts they had received
Whose love they had felt
Whose message they had learned, yet not understood-how blind they were! How blind are we!
He they forsook in His hour of greatest need
And we have hardly begun...
They whipped Him
They insulted Him
They beat Him
They crucified Him-
They subjected Him to the worst form of torture known to man!
Nails ripping through unguarded flesh
Death so long in coming as the crucified writhe before a jeering crowd
"Cursed is anyone who hangs on a tree"!
And He bore our sins
We say that so often!
He bore our sins. True, but so familiar we forget its meaning!
Every sin:
Haughtiness
Lies
Murder
Wickedness
Love of evil
Discord
Hostility
Sensuality
Impurity
Lust
Idolatry
Dishonor of parents and authorities
Adultery
Theft
Forgetting the Sabbath
Anger
Bitterness
Malice
Greed
Sexual immorality
Obscenity
Godlessness
Glorifying self
Forgetting to give thanks
Exchanging God's glory for mere imitations
Exchanging God's truth for a lie
Depravity
Envy
Strife
Deceit
Gossip
Slander
God-hating
Insolence
Arrogance
Betrayal
Senselessness
Unfaithfulness
Heartlessness
Ruthlessness
Unkindness
On Him! He who "knew no sin"
And not only sin, but the effects of sin - on Him also
Hurt
Pain
Sickness
Disease
Broken homes, marriages, friendships
Decay
Hell
Punishment
Despair
Hunger
Loss
Barrenness
Brokenness
Sorrow
Grief
Longing
Hopelessness
Death!
It is finished!
"How shall we comfort ourselves, murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there to clean ourselves? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us?
How did we do this? What were we doing when we unchained this earth from its sun? Whither is it moving now? Whither are we moving? Are we not plunging continually? Is there still any up or down? God is dead. God remains dead. And we have all killed Him." (Nietzche)
2 comments:
Beautiful. Simply beautiful. And I could leave it at that. But I won't. :)
Praise be to God! That our every transgression(and many they are)and omission and failure to obey God's law would be wiped clean by the precious blood of Christ! And that very blood, which should have been a stain forever upon us--that we should be judged in the fires of hell for this sacrilege against our Maker--was not counted as a stain, but instead washed our blemishes white as snow! "Come, let us reason together," says the Lord, "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow". And our God is not dead, He is gloriously ALIVE! Thank the Lord for such mercy and love, that He would suffer through death, and even worse--the desertion, emptiness of the withdrawn presence of God--to save and redeem us; this is the greatest price that could ever be paid. But how blind are we! That our Creator we would spurn, our God we accuse of blasphemy, and the Potter we claim as faulty! That God would love creatures like this testifies to His incomprehensible kindness, mercy and grace--we should rightfully(and will be) praising His glory for all eternity. Praise the Lord!
Cara: thanks for writing this. It is indeed beautiful--its truth makes it more so. And that it would call our hearts to praise, that it turns our souls to God; that is the hallmark of a great writer. For all greatness is from the Lord, so all greatness should point to the Lord. Continue the conception! :)
Have you seen the movie, "Passion of the Christ!" A Mel Gibbson movie dealing with the last events of Christs life! If you have I would be interested in hearing what you thought of it. For me it was vary hard to sit through! You did great here.
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