✝ Good Friday represents all that is bad in this world- back then in Jesus' time, and today: injustice, pride, deception, lying, torture, cowardliness, anger, divisiveness, mob rule, lack of reason, hatred, jealousy, mockery, abuse, lack of faith, corruption, & idolatry. Because we live in a broken world of sin, human nature transcends time. As I write this there are mobs of violent protesters in Nashville, protesting gun violence. People don't like the violence of guns, but have no problem with the violence of abortion. Lord, help us.
Protests are not always bad. On Monday during Holy Week, after Jesus had entered Jerusalem on a colt while crowds lay palms at His feet worshiping Him, He entered the Temple and overturned the money changers' tables that were corrupting the holy place. He was fully human and fully God, exposed to human nature here on earth.
✝ He knew what lay ahead of Him. He knew one of His closest friends was going to betray Him. He knew He would endure scorn, mockery and humility. He knew He was facing one of the most excruciating deaths ever delivered to a human.
Just think about that for a minute. We feel rejection if someone doesn't 'like' our posts, cuts in front of us in traffic or a line, or our boss dumps extra work on us. We feel like we are being unfairly treated if a traffic jam slows us down, our flight plans get rearranged, or Starbucks gets our order wrong.
✝ Jesus' responses to His false accusers were:
- to call them "friend" (Matthew 26:50)
- to discourage a violent injuring backlash in the garden (Matthew 26:51-52)
- to humbly wash the feet of His disciples, including Judas (John 13)
- to not call for heavenly help at any time (Matthew 26:53-54, Mark 15:29-30)
- to ask God to forgive those who were crucifying Him (Luke 23:34-38)
- to tell the thief dying on the cross next to Him about heaven. (Luke 23: 39-43)
Giotto
✝ Sometimes there is legitimate soul crushing, heart breaking rejection in our lives. We feel rejected by this world, by God, by our closest friends and family. It's at times like that where we can reach out to our loving Savior and pour our heart out because He understands. He has felt it to the point of death.
His disciples must have felt it as they watched who they believed to be their Savior being killed. They walked away feeling discouraged, disoriented and confused. Their world had literally been unhinged. I have no doubt they were crying out to God for the next 3 days, "Why? Why?"
✝ But that's not where we leave it. Jesus didn't just die this agonizing death so He could empathize with us when we hurt and feel rejected by others. There was such purpose in the pain. We don't see it or understand it, and probably at times never will until heaven, but God had THE Master Plan.
✝ Easter Sunday - just 3 days later - the faithful women went to the tomb and found it was empty!!! They didn't abandon their Lord or turn their back on Him- they went to Him; not knowing, but trusting. They were no doubt confused and discouraged and lost. But they knew they loved Him and He loved them. And they saw what He had done and heard His words while He was alive. He had conquered death, defied Satan, and glorified His Heavenly Father.
We don't always know why we have loss, rejection or suffering. This is what we do know - Jesus will never abandon you, He understands what you are experiencing, and it will work together for your good because our Heavenly Father has never-ending love for us. He showed us by watching His one and only Son who was sinless be tortured and killed.
✝ I lost someone very dear to me this past week, and have a deep sense of loss in my heart. It's not sadness because I know he is in heaven singing to his Savior. I'm mourning because someone who loved the Lord more than anything or anyone will no longer be able to demonstrate that in his living down here for me to watch and learn.
But I witnessed God's hand through every part of it - threading what I saw as loose ends together to a beautiful tapestry of pure love. I know why Jesus says, "Blessed are those who mourn". To me, It's because when you are facing the end of life there is such clarity to what is important. And what is important is - do you know how much God loves you? Enough to send His perfect Son to die for you. He accepts you as you are. Tell others to come alongside you to Him. Tell them there is One who understands and doesn't want them to walk this life alone.
✝ As you live out this Easter week, know that those of us who are living down on this earth need to live our lives with palms up, out loud, glorifying the One who conquered all the troubles of this world. We know God is ordering all of our steps with a purpose.
He indeed reigns.
(* click here to listen to this beautiful hymn and worship the Risen Savior!)
✙ Heavenly Father, hear my heart sing this song as praise to You for what You've done! Amen.
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