Good Friday

“because He was teaching His disciples.  He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.  They will kill Him, and after three days He will rise.”  Mark 9:31 NIV

     As a child I remember wondering why we called the Friday before Easter “Good Friday”.  At church we always talked about the day Jesus was crucified for our sins.  I just did not understand how we could call it good.  As an adult I am more aware of why we call it good, without it – I end up in Hell. 

     Several years ago, I was talking to the pastor of our church, and I asked him if he had ever received a blessing so big that he was embarrassed to tell anyone.  His immediate response?  “Every day.”  He explained that in his mind, every single thing above eternity in Hell is a blessing.  Everything. 

     I used to think that Jesus died for the sins of the world, and He did.  But the longer I breathe in the air around me I realize something more important.  He did it for me.    

     This year in particular I have been more purposefully thinking about Easter in advance of the one day.  I spent this past weekend outside.  I am in the middle of what has turned into the craziest landscaping idea I have had in a long time.  It is a lot of work and right now it does not look like there is a plan, just a lot of rocks.  It will be cool even if it is cool only to me.  Our greenhouse is full of healthy plants and the yard is green.  I realized a long time ago that my heart stays cleaner when my hands are dirty.  It was a beautiful weekend, and I had a three-hour drive into my territory yesterday – a lot of time to reflect on it. 

     We have all had those times when something negative is at the forefront of our mind.  A job, a tax bill, or whatever we may struggle with can get a lot of our mental attention.  Our enemy is clever.  Even in the middle of a good day he can remind us.    But there are times when my mind stays clean.  Struggles are not top of mind, joy is.

     I am an emotional man.  Tears are kind of a language of worship for me.  My daughter tells me I “ugly cry”.  I don’t care.  Yesterday the joy was just too big to ignore.  Harlee and Oliver have been obvious blessings but sometimes it can actually be overwhelming how much I love them.  My life has problems that are very real.  Every human has that.  But I have to look past a lot of blessings to stare at my problems.  Big problems are a little bit like rocks.  My life may look like a complete mess, but to the One who died for me, it is a beautiful landscape.

What are some of the hard things you need Jesus to help you through? 

Do you spend more time focused on problems or issues in your life than you do thanking Jesus for the blessings all around you?

Challenge:  On some days, a job, a tax bill, or a struggle can get in the way of a lot of potential joy.  On those same days that same job, the same tax bill and the same struggle can remind me just how far Jesus can move the center of our mind.  Be reminded on how far He had to go to do that, then thank God it’s Friday.