He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:3-6 NIV
Girlfriends, we are in the holiest week of the year, and today is GOOD FRIDAY. In my heart, I ask myself what is so good about a man full of love, devotion, compassion, empathy, and caring being beaten, tortured, crucified, stabbed, killed, and thrown into a cave? I can think of a lot of words to use as a prefix for this day but "Good" would not have been one of them.
For me, this day begins as one of sorrow and sadness as I envision the sins of the world--past, present, and future--cast upon an innocent man hanging from a wooden cross by nails through His hands and feet. A guiltless man dying for me--for all of humanity. His blood purchased for me what I could not earn, an eternity in the presence of God. It saddens me to know that I contributed to Christ's suffering and pain. Who am I to deserve this priceless gift of grace?
But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Ephesians 4:7 ESV
This gift of grace puts the "good" back into Easter Friday. Only a good, loving, merciful God would make such a sacrifice for disobedient, selfish, and trespassing people of which I am one.
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 NLT
Only a God of understanding would submit to the hands of evil to suffer the atrocities of this broken world in order to be a living example to us of overcoming adversity, finding strength, and gaining everlasting peace. Only a good God would offer us a choice, knowing fully well that we may turn away from His provision and choose death.
Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14 ESV
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 ESV
As Good Friday progresses, I begin to feel the "good" in the day--the goodness of my God, my Savior, my Jesus. The goodness of the hope His death offers to a beaten, battered, broken world and me living in it. By one man sin entered the human race and by one Man sin is forgiven for each human who comes to the foot of the cross humbly seeking restoration and salvation. That is the Good News of Good Friday!
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—Romans 5:12
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:15-17
Girlfriends, I pray you will meditate upon the meaning of "Good" in this Friday for you. Weep if you feel like weeping; cleanse your heart with tears of sorrow and grief for the suffering of the Beloved One sent to save you. But ladies, let that water wash away the debris and walk toward the place where glory will be revealed by the Resurrection in three days! Soon, my dears, soon our mourning will turn to celebration, for the grave in which Christ was laid could not hold Him. Good is about to turn into Great...a great day for all of creation!
Love you all!
