Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Hebrews 10:16-25 or
Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
John 18:1-19:42
Psalm 22
Just a quick post for Good Friday, because we've been on the road all day, and I'm going to fall asleep shortly.
I have never really liked Good Friday. It's a downer, and I spent too many nights listening to lay preachers go into the gruesome details of the crucifixion in order to impress upon me how much Jesus had to suffer for my sins. But today, I realized that I'm really very grateful for Good Friday, because so many of my own days are Good Fridays.
I don't mean that I've been crucified with Christ, or that I suffer much in any physical way. But if you look at the disciples on Good Friday, they have lost all hope. Their leader is dead and they can't make sense of the world. They are in despair.
I have frequently felt like God was completely absent from my life. In a way, it was as if He had died and I couldn't bring him back. In Good Friday, we have an affirmation that all of us lose hope sometimes. It is part of the Christian story--even Peter, who Jesus praised for his faith--couldn't even stand by his friend enough to admit knowing him. We all have moments when we despair, and Good Friday gives us a chance to see what is possible for people living in a hopeless world.
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