04-07-23

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
​April 7, 2023
Guest Writer: Paula Byrd, Elder
Today is Good Friday, yet sometimes I think of it as a terrible Friday because it's the day Jesus died.

John 19:28-30 says:
Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Good Friday is a very somber day for Christians. Yet, when I think about it, could there really be any better news than when Jesus proclaimed from the cross, "It is finished"? It means His work is finally and fully complete. All we have to do now is receive the benefits of His work and put our faith in the one who offered his life as a sacrifice for our sins. Jesus came to secure for us what we could never secure for ourselves.

At the cross, Jesus dealt with our sins. He finished the work. We've been forgiven, not because we earned it, but because Jesus did. Any threat of failure, judgment, and condemnation has been lifted from our shoulders. By offering his life, Jesus completes God's plan of redemption. He shed his blood to deal once and for all with sin.

That terrible Friday is called Good Friday because it leads us to the resurrection of Jesus and the celebration of Easter, the pinnacle of Christian celebrations.

Heavenly Father,
We remember today, the pain and sacrifice of your Son, Jesus, on the cross. We remember his willingness to endure for us so that we could be set free. He paid the price to offer us the gift of eternal life. Help us to be reminded of the cost of it all.
Amen.