Good Friday Thoughts:

As I work through the Biblical record of Jesus death, I keep running into these words that I can only describe as horrible.  That they are used to refer to the Lord Jesus Christ--the One Who healed the blind, the lepers, the lame, the deaf, and even raised the dead, magnifies the words' impact.  He was despised and rejected.  His enemies--to whom He had never done anything--stared, gloated, jeered, sneered, mocked, and opened their mouths against Him like ravening lions.  Words like beaten, flogged, spit-on, slapped, hit, crushed, pierced,and nailed-to are used to describe what happened to Jesus Christ on the day we remember, today.  He was known as a Man of Sorrows. Beyond any of the horrors contained in those words above, is the unimaginable blackness of the question cried out in the darkness, that "covered the whole land."  The Gospels retain the Aramaic, so we will come closer to hearing the voice of the Lord,  “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”  Then to make sure we don't miss the meaning of the words, they are translated, "My God, my God, why have You Abandoned Me?"  We can identify with those words of physical and emotional suffering, but this question plunges us into the inner-workings of the Trinity.  It is beyond us--not only beyond us in wonder, but beyond us in horror.  Never before had the sublime, loving fellowship of Father, Son, and Spirit been broken.  Throughout the eons of eternity it never will be broken again.  Yet on that day, as my Savior hung on the cross and endured suffering that could have been heaped on any human, there was an element to His passion that goes beyond any human comprehension. Horror. Side by side with that there is another word.  Again it takes on aspects that exceed my ability to comprehend. Love. It was love expressed by God the Father sending His Son, and God the Son "laying down His life for His friends"--and even beyond that for the world. This evening I'll gather with a group of people to remember the great sacrifice the Lord made on my behalf.  It is a love beyond my comprehension, but from which I reap eternal blessing. Whether in person, or in spirit, I hope you'll join me. It's Something to Think About.

Doesn't Jesus Die Every Year?

(Today's STTA was written by a missionary friend. It is a great Good Friday Meditation.)

"Doesn't Jesus die every year on good Friday?"
It was one of those teachable moments.
After sharing a short devotion before literacy class from Hebrews 10:12, we had gotten into an interesting discussion about things the [people my friend works with] do over Easter weekend. Some of the beliefs are quite strange (like not eating chicken because it turns into buzzard meat, or abstaining from alcohol until Sunday morning at 3:00 AM. Then you are supposed to drink and drink a lot.). I had wanted to get more
information about these ideas for some colleagues who are teaching about animism. After recording what was said, I kind of figured we were done with it, and forgot about it until the next day. Then the next morning we were about to start class when I remembered I had neglected to get a devotion ready for class.
"Oh well, repetition never hurts" I thought as I quickly flipped through my Bible to Romans 6:10 and shared once more how that Jesus only had to die once for all time, and that now he lives forever to God. As soon as I was done reading, it was then that one of my friends from the tribe asked his question. What a joy it was to be able to read the Scripture again, and then read from Hebrews 10:12 again as well and tell him that without a doubt, Jesus only died once. He was buried, and arose from the grave, never to die again. His work of paying for our sins was done, and it was ONCE AND FOR ALL.
On hearing the news, my friend nodded and said, "I'm glad you told us 'more straight.' I had believed wrong because that's what what my grandparents had always told me."
In spite of knowing the Lord for a number of years, Good Friday was still a blind spot for this man.
But then I asked myself, "What kind of blind spots do we have about all that Jesus has done for us?" Maybe our biggest one is just not thinking much about it. Did you thank Him for it today?

With thanks to my friend, and Praise to God for the gift of His Son . . .

It's STTA.