Good Friday April 14

Good Friday

Matt 27:46   About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--  which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Why this cry of dereliction?  What was happening on the cross?  The sins of the whole world were being placed on Jesus. He was paying the price for every sin we had and ever will commit. But something else was happening and perhaps this was the greatest anguish that was occurring. In some mysterious way there was a disconnection in the Trinity. The perfect harmony and connection between them was now in crisis. Because of the holiness of God the Father, he had to darken the skies that day because he could not look upon his Son and our sin.

And why did God do it?  It was the only way to rescue us from our sins. Our good deeds can't get rid of sin. Only someone paying the penalty can. Jesus paid that debt. And whose sin was on Jesus? This is where Good Friday becomes very personal. It was my sin, my rebellion, my pride, my selfishness, my prayerlessness that was upon Jesus that day.

Elizabeth Browning put Good Friday into a proper perspective when she wrote;

    Yea, once Immanuel's orphaned cry his universe hath shaken.

    It went up single, echoless, "My God, I am forsaken!"

    It went up from the Holy's lips amid his lost creation.

    That, of the lost, no son should use those words of desolation.

Because Jesus cried it out, you don't have to. You never have so say, "I am forsaken" because Jesus died on the cross.

So take an extended break today and reflect on the weightiness of this day.

Prayer:  Our Dear Sweet Lord Jesus, no day has passed in our lives that has not proved us guilty in your eyes. We are well aware of our hard hearts, our pride, our ungrateful attitudes. On this Good Friday we are well aware of our need for a Savior, our need for your rescue. We believe Jesus died in our place, for our sin. Even though our sins are great, your grace is a million times greater. Our confidence on this day of remembrance is this, "By your stripes we have been healed. You were bruised for our iniquities." You were made sin so that we would be made righteous. Though our sins are numerous, they are all forgiven and buried in the deepest ocean. We are guilty, but pardoned, lost, but saved, wandering, but found, sinning, but cleansed. On this Good Friday, help us to remember the incredible cost of our freedom.

 

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"Multiplying leaders to change the world"