“It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this he breathed his last.” – Luke 23:44-46

Today is Good Friday. The origin of this odd (to our ears) name is that in earlier English, holy and good were synonyms. So today is Holy Friday. It remembers the day on which Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, God in the flesh, was tried, flogged, sentenced to death, paraded to His place of execution, nailed to a cross, suffered in agony for hours, and died. On that cross, Jesus in His humanity suffered all the physical torture of that brutal means of execution. On that cross, Jesus in His divinity suffered the spiritual agony of His Father’s rightful anger for our sins. On that cross, Jesus took our sins upon Himself, paying the penalty of death for them, so that we won’t have to.

For all who put their faith in Jesus, Peter’s reflection on the events of Good Friday applies: ‘He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.’ (1 Peter 2:24). Take time today to remember the terrible price that was paid to bring you spiritual healing and reconciliation with God. Ask forgiveness for your sins and embrace your Savior who died for you.

“And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’ And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” – Luke 22:41-44

Today is Maundy Thursday, which remembers the day before the crucifixion of Jesus. The English word Maundy appears to derive from the same word as “mandate”, and refers to Jesus giving us His new commandment to love one another (John 13:34). On Maundy Thursday, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, they ate the Last Supper together, Jesus taught and prayed for His disciples then and now, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray amongst the olive trees, Jesus was betrayed and arrested, Jesus was denied by Peter, and Jesus was tried illegally and held overnight at the house of Caiaphas.

The most poignant time of that day is perhaps the one described in these verses when Jesus knelt among the olive trees and prayed for God to take this cup away from Him. “This cup” is the cup of suffering He will soon experience: arrest, beating, mocking, scourging, and agonizing crucifixion. “This cup” is the cup of God’s wrath, stored up for all of our sin and poured out on Jesus as He hung on the cross to pay for all the wrong that we’ve ever done.

Jesus knew what lay ahead. He did not desire it, but He embraced God’s will and eternal plan to bring salvation through His suffering death on a cross. Though He prayed for another way, He embraced that God’s will led inexorably to the cross. The gravity of what lay ahead was so great his sweat became like drops of blood and an angel was sent to strengthen Him in time of prayer. Here in the Garden we see the enormous burden of what it cost for God to forgive our sins through Jesus Christ!

“You are not to do as we are doing here today; everyone is doing whatever seems right in his own sight.” – Deuteronomy 12:8

It seems we’ve come full circle! What was true of the ancient Israelites then is true for so many of us today. We like to be the judge and arbiter of our own actions, choices, rationalizations, and preferences. We deny that there is a God who sovereignly set the design and standard for human life and flourishing. Therefore we find ourselves in mess after mess, descending into ever greater ugliness, doing whatever seems right in our own opinion, and celebrating it!

That doesn’t work. It’s never worked. It might seem fun for awhile, but there’s always a reckoning. God is the author of creation and He sets the standard. We’ve all rebelled against that standard and that rebellion is called sin. Sin separates us from our Creator, for in His holiness, goodness, and justice, He does not permit sin into His presence.

However, in His love, mercy, and grace, God provided a way for us to be restored to Him despite our love for doing whatever seems right in our own sight. God sent His Son Jesus into this world to live the perfect life of obedience we can’t. In the final week of His earthly ministry, Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, was betrayed and arrested on Maundy Thursday, was tortured and killed for our sins on Good Friday, and rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. Jesus rose victorious over sin and death and all who believe in Him will likewise be victorious over these ancient enemies.

That’s what we celebrate this week – the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross that reconciles rebellious and sinful mankind to our loving Father by grace through faith alone:

– For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)

– For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23)

– But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)

– Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9)

“Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.”
– Psalm 42:11

It’s understandable to feel turmoil, discouragement, and despair during this season we’re experiencing as a world. But there is hope, and it isn’t in the form of a cure or a vaccine! The solution for these feelings that threaten to overwhelm us isn’t to wait for better news. Rather, it’s to anchor our hope in God. When we’re downcast, deeply unsettled, and overwhelmed we must draw near to God, rather than looking within ourselves or out to the world for the answer. Only God provides ultimate and lasting soothing and healing for our troubled spirits. Everything else, both inside and out, is but an illusion or short-term fix (often with long-term consequences).

Draw near to God when you’re troubled: drop everything and read His Word, reflect on it, pray through it, speak to the Lord honestly and often, give voice to everything good and bad racing through your mind. Praise Him for what He’s done in the past in your life, in the world, through His Son Jesus. Trust that He is working in the present even if you can’t see it. Lean on Him for He is very present with you through Christ even if you can’t feel it. Love Him, serve Him, share Him. Take heart in His love and care for you. Embrace His purpose for your life. Seek friendship and regular encouragement from others who love Him. Trade your anxieties for supernatural peace that transcends human understanding (Philippians 4:6-7[PP1] ).

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 [PP1]

“When you eat and are full, and build beautiful houses to live in, and your herds and flocks grow large, and your silver and gold multiply, and everything else you have increases, be careful that your heart doesn’t become proud and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.” – Deuteronomy 8:12-14

Prosperity and comfort have always been the greatest threats to our faith. When life is good and money is flowing we fool ourselves into thinking it’s because of our brilliance and hard work. We quickly forget the true source of our blessings. When we’re comfortable and the news is always good (at least for us), we forget the difficult times of the past and God’s faithfulness in those times. We’re easily blinded to how precarious our situation in this world is, how brief and small earthly life is in the scheme of eternity, and how necessary it is to walk with God every day.

This warning to the Israelites 3400 years ago might as well have been written to us today! We are a people who in our extreme prosperity and comfort forgot the difficulties of the past and we blind to the suffering of others, thinking it all to be some fascinating relic of a different generation or a far-off land. In the process, we forgot God Who has long been faithful. Now we’re experiencing a very stark reminder of just how precarious and unpredictable life can be and how fleeting is our comfort and control.

During this difficult season, may we all remember the Lord and humble ourselves before Him. May we recognize that He was always the source of our blessings and prosperity, that He called us to use them well for His glory, and that all too often we failed and fell short of that expectation. May we humbly seek His forgiveness in Christ and be faithful in sharing the good news of Jesus with those who don’t know Him, for it is Christ who brings us out of slavery to death, the very enemy that so many are suddenly quite afraid of!