Happy Good Friday, y’all!
What’s good about remembering Jesus’ death, given the brutality he endured—flogging, mocking, beating, and crucifixion? Reading Luke 23 today gave me some GOOD thoughts I want to share.
We all face trials. Jesus faced them ALL. His crucifixion reminds us that suffering isn’t the final word—there will be glory. The day of Jesus’ death was horrific, but Sunday is coming. THAT’S GOOD.
- And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 1 Peter 5:10
- Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12
- Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12
- I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33
Recently I sat on the beach from about 1:00 to 2:00, the sun was bright and everything was peaceful. On the day Christ was crucified, darkness fell from noon until three. If that would have happened to me while I was lounging in the sun, I’d be bewildered—maybe convinced the world was ending. On that historic day, it was as if the world was mourning the death of God’s Son. Perhaps those who mocked and abused him felt confusion or guilt; perhaps they, too, thought everything was over. In a sense their world DID end—the world of religious barriers—because through Jesus everyone now has direct access to God. THAT’S GOOD.
- It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. Luke 23:44-45a
Don’t stop at just the beginning of verse 45—read on: for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Whew! Now hang on, read Matthew 27:51a: At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. From TOP TO BOTTOM! Every time I read those verses it takes me back to a Beth Moore bible study when she brought out the significance of those three words. That curtain was enormous—around 60 feet high and about four inches thick. If people tore it, they’d tear bottom-up; but this curtain was torn top-to-bottom. Our Heavenly Father, up above, reached down and tore the curtain of the temple. This symbolizes that we don’t have to go through priests to enter the Holy of Holies for atonement for our sins; Jesus’ death opened the way so we have direct access to God. THAT’S GOOD.
- And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:19-25
Friend, Good Friday points to the pain and the purpose—suffering that leads to restoration and open access to God.
Happy Good Friday: remember that Sunday is coming.
Blessings, Stephanie — enjoying the Son in the sun.
More info on the curtain: https://www.gotquestions.org/temple-veil-torn.html
(Today’s post was a rewrite from a journal entry published in 2017.)