Friday, March 25, 2016

You Are the Good in Good Friday

Welcome back to the Dove Chronicles! I've not written in a long time as family, illness, and life have made things very busy. I gave much thought to something I wrote this morning reflecting on my favorite time of year - Holy Week: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter (with that odd, waiting-for-hope Saturday in between). I decided to resurrect my old faith blog during Resurrection weekend. Appropriate, yes? 

Before I share that piece of writing, let's revisit the meaning of Good Friday. 



I love Good Friday for so many reasons. 

1. Everyone I know asks, "why is it called Good Friday?" My kids ask this, friends who don't know the Lord ask this, and I love answering it because I gain a bit more insight each year. It is now just over five years of me being a Christian, but I don't pretend to have all the answers, but I will share what I have come to understand. I tell people that this Friday is "good" because God's definition of "good" is so very different than ours. For example, I have been diagnosed with a horrible chronic illness that causes a great amount of suffering - for and my family. However, I do think this is being used for my "good" by the God who can turn ashes into beauty and joy out of suffering. Whether I let Him use it for my good is up to me. I also tell people that it is called "Good" Friday because though it seemed like an awful day for Jesus, to put it mildly, think about it: Jesus knew this was coming. And the Apostle Paul says, we must fix

our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
 Hebrews 12:2

With joy, Jesus endured the cross. The joy was not the beating, lashing, or mocking. We were that joy. We are that joy. The shame He despised was not "good." But the result of this sacrifice is certainly "good" for us. Because of Jesus, we can walk in freedom and be connected to God in a way that was impossible before. That certainly is good news! 

So that's the Good about Good Friday. 

While we think hanging on a cross in a violent death is definitely not "good," Jesus decided we were worth it. 

He decided you were worth it. Not because of what you did or didn't do, but because you are His. With all your flaws and warts, with all your rebelliousness and doubt, He decided YOU were worth dying for. 

I'd say that is very good news.