Great Friday
Good Friday was yesterday.
I went to church.
It's been a few years since I've been able to get to a Good Friday church service.
But I remember.
I grew up in the church, going to Good Friday services all through my childhood and into adulthood.
And never did I go with a happy heart.
Never did I feel joyful.
There would be music ~ good songs of remembrance and solemn worship.
There would be a sermon ~ good words of conviction and sadness.
There would sometimes even be a video ~ bringing the pain and mournfulness of the day to life.
There would be a downcast heart.
A teary eye.
A sick feeling in my gut.
Good Friday, you say?
Where's the good?
So I had come to almost dread the Good Friday service.
I didn't like feeling sad.
I didn't like feeling guilty.
I didn't like the horribleness of the crucifixion.
But yesterday I had a little revelation moment ...
And not to diminish the ugliness of sin and the horrendous act of crucifixion, I was able to finally see the good in the day.
And I was able to see that I no longer have to wait till Easter Sunday to see the good part of all this.
The good of this weekend began on Friday.
There was a man who took my sin and made it His own.
There was a man who loved me so intensely He was willing to die for me.
And, while yes, the day of the crucifixion was a horribly sad day and I can't even imagine what it must have been like for Jesus' mother, the disciples and other followers of Jesus living in that time, we are able to live in a place of rejoicing for the gift of the crucifixion of Jesus.
So rather than mourn the death of Jesus, we can look at it as a celebration of life. We celebrate His love for us. His passion for us. His willingness to sacrifice Himself for us. His ability to give us new life because of his death and resurrection.
No one is untouched by this. Not one person on this earth.
So I can go to church on Good Friday and humbly celebrate with a smile on my face and joy in my heart. I don't have to carry the burden of guilt or sadness. I don't have to feel weighed down by the brutality that went on.
I can definitely acknowledge it and by no means belittle it, but I can feel more thankful and hopeful because of it.
That's where the joyfulness comes in ... getting past the mourning, and stepping into the new life.
And staying there.
Good Friday indeed!
Halleluljah!
I went to church.
It's been a few years since I've been able to get to a Good Friday church service.
But I remember.
I grew up in the church, going to Good Friday services all through my childhood and into adulthood.
And never did I go with a happy heart.
Never did I feel joyful.
There would be music ~ good songs of remembrance and solemn worship.
There would be a sermon ~ good words of conviction and sadness.
There would sometimes even be a video ~ bringing the pain and mournfulness of the day to life.
There would be a downcast heart.
A teary eye.
A sick feeling in my gut.
Good Friday, you say?
Where's the good?
So I had come to almost dread the Good Friday service.
I didn't like feeling sad.
I didn't like feeling guilty.
I didn't like the horribleness of the crucifixion.
But yesterday I had a little revelation moment ...
And not to diminish the ugliness of sin and the horrendous act of crucifixion, I was able to finally see the good in the day.
And I was able to see that I no longer have to wait till Easter Sunday to see the good part of all this.
The good of this weekend began on Friday.
There was a man who took my sin and made it His own.
There was a man who loved me so intensely He was willing to die for me.
And, while yes, the day of the crucifixion was a horribly sad day and I can't even imagine what it must have been like for Jesus' mother, the disciples and other followers of Jesus living in that time, we are able to live in a place of rejoicing for the gift of the crucifixion of Jesus.
So rather than mourn the death of Jesus, we can look at it as a celebration of life. We celebrate His love for us. His passion for us. His willingness to sacrifice Himself for us. His ability to give us new life because of his death and resurrection.
No one is untouched by this. Not one person on this earth.
So I can go to church on Good Friday and humbly celebrate with a smile on my face and joy in my heart. I don't have to carry the burden of guilt or sadness. I don't have to feel weighed down by the brutality that went on.
I can definitely acknowledge it and by no means belittle it, but I can feel more thankful and hopeful because of it.
That's where the joyfulness comes in ... getting past the mourning, and stepping into the new life.
And staying there.
Good Friday indeed!
Halleluljah!
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