Good Friday

One of the criminals who was hanging there railed at Him saying, "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"  But the other rebuked him, saying, "Don't you fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."  Luke 23:39-43

On Good Friday, we reflect on and ponder Jesus' death on the cross that served as the ultimate sacrifice to bring salvation.  There is nothing more important, no act of love, service, or anything else that even comes close to comparing to what our perfect Savior endured for us in His final hours and His death that freed us from our bondage to sin.

The above passage of Scripture from the gospel of Luke moves my soul as it reveals the saving power and loving forgiveness of our Savior.  The criminals that were also being crucified at the same time as Jesus had been issued a death sentence for their wrong doings.  Jesus was tried and crucified despite being perfect and innocent.  One of the criminals realized that it was indeed the Messiah, hanging on the cross beside him, and right at the moment of his acceptance, Jesus forgave him and assured him of his eternal destination.

It's hard to understand God's grace sometimes.  Why do bad things happen to good people?  Why do good things happen to bad people?  I don't know, but God loves His creation and that includes every human being on this planet.  He doesn't want only a select few, He wants all of us to join Him in 'paradise' when we leave this earth.  He sent His son to live a blameless and perfect life on this earth and then offered Him as a love sacrifice, a Lamb of God, to take our place and die for our sins. He took our place on the cross, and only wants us to give Jesus first place in our lives.

It's Not My Cross To Bear

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.  But if it dies, it produces many seeds.  The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”  John 12: 20-23

In the above passage of Scripture from the Gospel of John, Jesus paints a beautiful picture of the necessary sacrifice He was about to make on behalf of all of mankind.  The days leading up to the celebration on Easter for a believer are somewhat difficult and painful.  It has to be this way for us to enjoy a deeper experience of the reality of Jesus’ crucifixion and His resurrection.

After Jesus was brutally flogged and beaten, He was forced by the Roman guards to carry His cross through town and up the hill where He eventually died.  Many of Jesus’ disciples and followers made the journey with Him on that dark day and we too must make our own personal journey to the foot of the cross as well.  It’s a lonely journey; one that only needs to be made in solitude with Jesus.  As we bring ourselves to the cross, we expose our sinful lives and brokenness, which is the only way we can bear fruit as believers.

We cannot just settle for our salvation.  God has far too many plans for each one of us and things He plans to accomplish through our lives.  This Holy Week, take the painful journey to the cross with Jesus and experience the many blessings that God has in store for you in this life and eternity.

Paradise

Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."  Luke 23:43

Just a few days ago, a dear friend of mine lost their mother unexpectedly. While having gone through the same loss, pain and heartache,  I still struggle with finding the right words to offer to a friend who has lost someone that they love.  Despite not knowing what to say to comfort, I do cling to the peace in knowing that those of us who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will live in heaven for all of eternity...  

Clearly, the hope of eternal life alone can give our suffering on this earth and our lives ultimate significance and purpose. Good does not always triumph over evil in this world. The wicked sometimes prosper. Tragedies and suffering that have no apparent meaning or reason behind them often come our way.

Knowing that Jesus has been raised from the dead gives us the sure hope of eternal life and the confidence that all wrongs will eventually be righted. We are sure that Jesus has been raised from the dead because of the testimony of the Word of God;  testimony that is confirmed by the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, the historical witness to the resurrection, and much more.

While I did not know my friend's mother, I know that he is finding comfort  knowing that she is most certainly spending eternity with her Heavenly Father, in a place so wonderful-paradise-that it defies all human comprehension. 

New Attitude

You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, who though He existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature.  He humbled Himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death-even death on a cross!  Philippians 2:5-8

I was driving back to Knoxville after a meeting in Morristown, TN recently when a fairly large truck pulled out onto Jefferson Highway in front of me, nearly causing a collision.  Luckily, I remembered that my car had a Cokesbury Church magnet on my back bumper or I would have probably reacted a bit more harshly (possibly with a finger gesture.)  There was a steady stream of traffic yesterday and I am sure the driver of the truck had grown impatient in waiting, but to risk a major accident is just uncalled for.  It's no wonder the number of "Road Rage" cases in the United States keeps growing larger and larger each with every passing year.

Twenty years ago, "Road Rage" wasn't even a commonly known phrase.  So what's happened?  Are we so used to having things instantly that we have forgotten what it is like to be patient and actually have to wait for something?  Coming from the horrid driving conditions I became accustomed to when we lived in Atlanta, the driving conditions in Knoxville aren't really that bad.  Unfortunately, far too many people have no consideration for other people on the road nowadays.  Mix that together with advances in modern technology and we as a society don't understand the concept of steadfastness or patience.  I believe that some of us even have a God-complex of our own. "My schedule is the only one that matters."  "I must get to where I am going, who cares about the person I just cut off on the exit ramp?"  Sound familiar?

Take Paul's words about Jesus' attitude to heart...here is the Son of God, the One who can summon all the angels in heaven at any given moment, walking among us on this earth, going through the same struggles and trials that we all deal with to this very day.

Jesus did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped.  Even more amazing, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death on the cross! You can't make this stuff up...He was, is, and will always be the genuine article.  His attitude is the one we should all try and replicate in our own lives.  I need to remember this the next time I sit behind the wheel of my car to drive or when things are not going the way I'd like them to at home or at work, and so on and so on....imagine how different things would be if we all had Jesus' attitude!

I Started Something I Couldn't Finish

Since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude He had, and be ready to suffer, too.  For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.  1 Peter 4:1

Have you ever been asked to do something or set out to achieve something but felt like giving up?  I know that I certainly have on many occasions and there are still things that I regret in which were, unfortunately, never completed.  When God calls us to a task, we should never give up.  Not only would you miss the blessing of finishing and reaching your goal, but not trusting God's promise may result in some sort of loving discipline from Him as well.

Just because God wants or asks you to do something does not mean that it will be easy.  The more important the task, the higher degree of difficulty it will often become.  Don't give up when the going gets tough.  Keep moving forward in faith; God is good to His people and will always answer the call to help!

Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

I look up toward the hills.  From where does my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth!  The Lord is your protector; the Lord is the shade at your right hand.  The sun will not harm you by day, or the moon by night.  Psalm 121:1-2, 5-6

Have you ever wondered why we sometimes experience unrest when we are alone?  Some people, out of desperation, move in and out of relationships to fill the void of emptiness.  Others fill the void with substances like drugs and alcohol.  In my journey, I have been guilty of using both until I began to realize that I was created to be in fellowship with God.  In fact, all of us are created to be in fellowship with our loving Father.

Simply put, God did not make us to go through life on our own; He wants us to have relationships with other people, but the number one relationship He wants us to enjoy is one with Him.  When we attempt to have our needs met apart from God, our efforts are futile and lead only to major disappointment and despair.  God is the only One who is capable of filling the emptiness of the human heart.

Only God can meet our deepest longings and needs for the love that we all need.

Too Much Time On My Hands

You were wearied with the length of your way in trying to find rest and satisfaction in alliance apart from the true God, yet you did not say, there is no result or profit.  Isaiah 57:10

We have a close friend who always seems to complain about not having enough time to do all that they want to do.  I am occasionally guilty of feeling that way too, especially when there are deadlines to meet and what often feels like there are not enough hours in a given day.  

It's not that we don't have enough time, it's just that our simple lives have become too complex in doing trivial things that eat away at our schedules.  How or when does life move away from being simple to something so complex?  I believe that it is relative to where we are in our journey.

I remember thinking how stressful my life was during college; having to make an appearance in class in between Phish and Widespread Panic shows, going out four and five nights a week, waiting tables, and working as a disc jockey.  (Looking back, I really had it made!)  I didn't have the pressures of performing at work like I do now and I certainly did not have a family to support.  Then again, I wasn't exactly walking the straight and narrow path either, but that's another story for another day.

The above verse from Isaiah states "You are wearied out through the multiplicity of your ways."   It is widely accepted in today's society that more is always better, but at what cost?  Are we truly following God's will for our lives when we are so busy filling our days with our self-centered agendas and schedules?  I believe the answer is a resounding "NO."

Instead of making everything difficult and centered around ourselves, we should simplify and enjoy the peace and satisfaction that comes from following God's plan for our lives. 

"Fear, mismanaged, leads to sin. Sin leads to hiding. Since we've all sinned, we all hide, not in bushes, but in eighty-hour workweeks, temper tantrums, and religious busyness.  We avoid contact with God." -Max Lucado