Good Friday

I came under conviction this week that I should not let this Friday pass like any other day. Easter gets all the billing with the bunny rabbits, eggs and flowers. There are the hunts and the chocolate and the candy and sunrise services. And oh yeah, we remember that a dead man came back to life. I cringe at how the world's celebration of Easter has eclipsed its heart. Each Easter we work hard as a family and I as a pastor to make sure the glory of the Resurrection is not lost in the frills of the holiday. I am proud of our church's egg hunt that gives us a venue to share the Gospel on Saturday. We provide a strong focus on the Resurrection on Sunday.

Easter is a special holiday. It is the day we celebrate Jesus victory over death. But I came under conviction that I've skipped the day Jesus paid for my sins. I've been so focused on Easter Sunday that I blow right past Good Friday.

So this Friday, I plan to change that. Scripture records four specific times on Good Friday related to Jesus' passion. At 6 a.m. he was being tried before Pilate and then beaten and scourged. At 9 a.m. He was nailed to the cross. At noon, darkness covered the land. And at 3 p.m. Jesus died for my sins.

This Friday I plan to be aware of these special times. Over breakfast, I'll meditate on my sinless Savior standing accused before a human governor so that I wouldn't have to stand condemned before a Holy God. At 9 a.m., I'll stop and consider the excruciating pain the nails caused my Jesus as He was crucified for a people that had rejected Him and I'll sing, "None But Jesus." The lyrics of which include the phrase, "There is no one else for me, None but Jesus Crucified to set me free Now I live to bring Him praise." The crowd chose Barabbas, but I choose Jesus. At Noon, I'll turn out the lights and remember that the dieing of the Son, dimmed the sun. And then, at 3 p.m. on Friday, I plan to stop whatever I'm doing and consider, truly meditate on the truth, that at that hour, Jesus surrendered His spotless spirit as payment for my soiled soul. And then I am sure I'll experience why we call the day, Good Friday.