Good? Friday

Good Friday - why is it called Good.  Well I had my own idea but wasn't really sure if there was an "official" reason for today being called Good Friday.  After a google search the historical origin of Friday being called Good Friday is unclear.  

Today at 3pm we burned the palms from Palm Sunday.  Reading the Gospel stories of the events of Good Friday felt anything but good.  Very humbling to sit and listen.

How quickly emotions change.  Just days earlier the crowds greeted Him as he was entering Jerusalem waving palm branches.  The crowd was shouting "Hosanna, Blessed is the king of Israel."  They declared Jesus as King.  They had seen all the miracles.  They felt the compassion of the Savior.  They knew He was their Messiah.

Hosanna!  I looked up the meaning of Hosanna which means a shout of praise, adoration.  To praise, to applaud.  It's an interjection, it's a noun, it's a verb.  

And in just a matter of days there was betrayal, denial, 30 pieces of silver changed hands, an arrest, a trial. Pilate allows the innocent to be condemned, and a choice demanded by the crowd to free Barabbas, a criminal, rather than Jesus.  He was flogged, mocked, stripped, pierced in His side, a crown of thorns placed on His head, carried His own cross.  And crucified. 

His mother stands at the foot of the cross.  I can't imagine the pain she must have felt.  To be so helpless to her son and to watch.   Oh the horror.  Good?  really?

Good - yes.  Good for us.  Without Friday there would be no Easter.  He took my place.  He bore the sins of each of us on that cross.  

Recently I had a conversation after hearing a particularly distressing news story,

Them:  "Aren't you glad Jesus came over 2000 years ago." 

Me:  "Um, why?

Them:  "Because if He came today He may decide we're not worth saving." 

I had to mull that over for a while.  He already knew.  He already knew my own sins.  And he still wanted to redeem humanity.  He still chose us.  

This blog post has totally changed from what I originally thought I was going to say.  If nothing else, I hope I have gained the understanding that I need to be very cautious of being swayed by the "crowd".  It was the "crowd" that hailed Him King.  It was the "crowd" that demanded Barabbas be freed.  It was the "crowd" that convinced Pilate, who believed Jesus innocent, to hand him over.  Seek Jesus not the crowd.

Just as the house which looks so nice after being power washed this week, my sins have been power washed by the Savior who bore them on that cross.  

And I had no idea how I was going to tie in this picture of the house into this post!

Good - yes!