Good Friday…

Today is the day we Christians are to remember Jesus’ death.  Just typing those words makes my heart sink.  My sinful self would prefer to skip the death part, skip the pain and suffering, and move on to the glorious resurrection.  Isn’t that how we go about life?  God bless me, but don’t force me to go through the hard things.  God grow me and change me to be more like Jesus, but don’t use trials or pain or sickness or anything like that to do it.  Let’s skip the hard work and get to the glorious reward.

If God had that mentality where would we be now?  Hopeless.  We would be under the law that doesn’t bring life, but only awareness of sin.  We wouldn’t have the Holy Spirit in us to guide and direct us.  We would be condemned to spend eternity separated from God.  Praise God, He didn’t leave us like that.  He stepped towards us.  Jesus gave up His preference to avoid the pain and agony of crucifixion and separation from God.  He gave it up when He said, ‘”Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”‘ Luke 22:42.  If God’s only Son, Jesus, had to suffer and die then why do we think we get off free.  Why should we only be blessed, if our Savior, our Example, our God was willing to suffer for us?  Oh that we can learn the depths of His love for us.  That as we look at the cross and NOT the empty one, but the one where Jesus is doing the work of Salvation, that as we look to Jesus we can better know the depths of the Father’s love.  That we can begin to grasp His AMAZING grace, His AMAZING love, His AMAZING mercy.

Oh Father, I am humbled that You would die for a sinner such as me; so full of myself and so depraved and hopeless. O God that You would send your Darling, your Treasure, your ONLY SON that your enemies may spend eternity with You in heaven.  O Jesus that You would be willing to say NO to your own desires and die a painful death, experience separation from Your Father, take the wages that my sin earned on Yourself, for me…O, who am I that You would think of me?  Yet You did and O my God, O my Jesus, O my Holy Spirit may I forever praise You.  Thank You Jesus!