Prayers2Persevere

The significance of this Good Friday is weightier than years before having recently read through and studied the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). The separate yet specific accounts of Jesus’ life, ministry, arrest, and crucifixion. The silence while He was interrogated, unjustly accused, beaten, spit on, humiliated, tortured. His last words on the cross and yet the mercy He showed to the criminal next to Him. The scriptures fulfilled while the angry crowd yelled and watched the Messiah — the one they had been waiting for — take His last breath. The Lamb of God was slain and the veil was torn. 

God knew there weren’t enough animals in the world to sacrifice to atone for our sins. Yet, He loved us so much He saw fit to send His Son as a one-and-done sacrifice. The ultimate sacrifice. Animals used for atonement lived a different type of life that was specific to their purpose (sacrifice) and were without blemish. Jesus, who was also without blemish or sin and lived a different type of life that was specific to His purpose (Savior of the world), was killed so that our sins would be forgiven forever. And not just the sins committed leading up to His crucifixion, but the sins of all mankind for generation after generation. Our sins are a debt that we could never repay. Yet, God, in His unconditional love for us, showed us the ultimate sign of grace and mercy and sacrificed His Son. And, Jesus’ sacrifice was not without reward for us. The blood He shed cancels our debt, gives us an inheritance, and a promise of eternal life with the Father. 

The images imprinted in my head of that final day of Jesus’ earthly life have given me a renewed sense of purpose. We can no longer afford to be casual or passive about our sin. The debt Jesus bore was too high. We cannot afford to delay in our obedience to fulfill the assignments God has given us. Souls are on the line. We must seek to live a life outside of ourselves, to do what God has commanded. To love Him and love our neighbor, and to go out and make disciples by spreading the Good News. The Good News is that on the third day, He got up from the grave with all power in His hands, conquering death and giving us the gift of eternal life. The truth is that I was once lost in a world of darkness, consumed by thoughts of death, and bound for a life of destruction — but God! The truth is I was heart broken, searching for love in all the wrong places, with voids that would never be filled — until I met Jesus. The good news is that you too can find a love so deep, so real, so life giving that you will never want to be the same. That love comes from God Himself and is freely available to you if you would just believe in Him.

There is hope for us all today because of what happened on a Good Friday long ago. Today, we remember the cross and the sacrifice of Jesus. Today, we recommit to pursuing God like never before with the help of Holy Spirit so we too can fulfill our life’s purpose and glorify the name of the Father wherever we go. 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV)