Carrying His own cross, He went out to the Place of the Skull (which is called Golgotha). There they crucified Him.
—John 19:17b- 18a
It seems strange to call a day Good Friday, doesn’t it? That day marks one of the most tragic days in Christian history: when Jesus was crucified. It’s tragic on many levels. First, a sinless person was crucified for all the sins of humanity. Secondly, His death was the most painful and shameful first-century Israel and Rome could ever devise. Finally, because our holy God can’t look at sin, Jesus was forsaken in the last moments of His human life.
How could anything good come out of this? That was surely the question on the disciples’ and other believers’ minds that day. It’s often a question for today’s Christians, too, even though we know the end of the crucifixion story. Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection are meant to bring us hope. Often, though, we can’t help feeling stuck in the dark parts of our circumstances. It’s easy to focus on them and wonder how God can redeem what we’re experiencing.
Be aware that there is an appropriate time to mourn. Solomon, who wrote Ecclesiastes, tells us so. Jesus’ disciples may have turned to those words for comfort after He was placed in the tomb. If you’re in a period of mourning, give yourself that time; it’s normal and healthy.
However, don’t forget to give God a chance to redeem what you think is lost. Three days from the events of today’s verse, God redeemed the horror of Jesus’ death in a glorious way. In His time, He’ll do the same for your situation. Ask Him for deeper trust and faith as you wait. Try to go about life as normally as possible, and find small joyous moments. Above all, keep your eyes on the “Easter Sunday” that will come when the day is over. Once it arrives, you may be able to look back and see that your Friday was truly good.
Comments