Today is Good Friday. Why is it “good?”
- In a culture that is ever so quick to get to the product
- In a culture that is ever so quick to avoid suffering and pain and seek ways to medicate ourselves to avoid pain
- In a culture that is ever so quick to jump to the bunnies and eggs
- In a culture that is ever so quick to commercialize, capitalize, and consumerize
- In a culture that is ever so quick to jump to the good news of Easter Sunday and Resurrection
- In a culture that is ever so quick to minimize the extent of Jesus’ suffering and crucifixion
- In a culture that is ever so quick to ‘disneyize’ the events of the brutal death of a man
- In a culture that is ever so quick to grab hold of grace as if we are entitled to it
Today matters. This Friday matters. His death matters. So, let’s not be so quick to bypass this day. There’s a reason why in the Christian traditio – this day and service is considering the longest and darkest day/event of the year.
While the good news of our beauty is clearly exemplified in the glorious news of the Resurrection…the depths of our darkness and depravityis also exposed in the last days of Jesus’ life and crucifixion.
And once we understand, if even for a glimpse, the depths of our depravity and brokenness, the amazing depth of God’s grace and mercy is that much more understood and experienced. We understand that our broken image can be restored by the Creator of that original beauty.
Thank you Jesus for this day. For Dark Friday. For Holy Friday. For the cross, sacrifice, and atonement. Thank you God that you have redeemed this day to be good.
Good Friday.
The high priests, along with the religion scholars and leaders, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: “He saved others—he can’t save himself! King of Israel, is he? Then let him get down from that cross. We’ll all become believers then! He was so sure of God—well, let him rescue his ‘Son’ now—if he wants him! He did claim to be God’s Son, didn’t he?”…From noon to three, the whole earth was dark. Around mid-afternoon Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
Matthew 27:41-46
Filed under: religion, christianity, easter, Good Friday, Jesus
Simple but great post Eugene. That image is haunting…
Thanks, Eugene. Good Friday has always been a very important part of Holy Week for me: attempting to understand what Christ actually did for me on this day though I’ll never deserve it, not being able to full grasp it, but thanking Him profusely nontheless. Wish I could be there at Quest tonight!
[...] as i was writing this…i came across this link, which i really [...]
Great post, Eugene. I’ve been griping to my wife that I’ve not felt very connected to this holy season. The irony is that one main reason is I’m finishing up a couple of class papers on the atonement. Thanks for helping wake me up again to the reality that Jesus took the curse of my sin away – here’s a little John Donne:
“We think that Paradise and Calvary,
Christ’s cross and Adam’s tree, stood in one place;
Look, Lord, and find both Adams met in me;
As the first Adam’s sweat surrounds my face,
May the last Adam’s blood my soul embrace.”
Thanks for the invitation to pause before we jump so quickly to the festivities of Easter.
[...] Thoughts on Good Friday Posted on March 21, 2008 by Pat Eugene has a very nice post about Good Friday here. [...]
It’s a shame that so many do “jump quickly to the festivities of Easter”; without Good Friday, how can Easter exist? People need to remember and reflect on WHY Good Friday even exists, and the utmost importance of Christ dying for each and every one of us. God bless, and of course have a Happy Easter in a couple days!
Good Friday or Bad Theology?
Was Christ crucified on Friday?
What does it matter, you ask. Please visit;
http://lbolm.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/good-friday/
Love in Yahushua, Christ Jesus,
Jake