Good Friday, 2009
My first Easter after I had come to Christ was both joyous and painful. As a new Christian, I enthusiastically embraced everything the church had to offer. I was a young Peter, running pell-mell into everything Christian. (Fortunately, a pastor named Jamie Buckingham took me under his wing and made sure I was given a firm foundation.)
When I discovered my church offered confession I leaped for it — the only person in my church who did. A few days before Easter I confessed to my own pastor that I thought Good Friday had little meaning for me. He told me to spend the hours from noon to 3:00 meditating on the crucifixion of Jesus. What an experience that was! At first it was just too easy. Then it became too hard! To think that Jesus went through all that for me was unbearable.
A few years ago we went to see the movie The Passion of the Christ. There were times during that movie that I wanted to cry out, STOP! I’M NOT WORTH IT!
Yet in God’s eyes, I am indeed worth it, and so are you!
Isn’t that just like our amazing God? He made us, He loves us warts and all, and it just never stops. HE GAVE HIS SON FOR YOU AND FOR ME! That never stops astounding me. I am so unworthy, yet He just keeps on loving me.
John 3:16 may be all too familiar to most Christians and even to many non-Christians, but it sums it all up: For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (NIV)
Would I give my life for someone else? Yes, I might very well do that, especially for my family and friends. Would I give a child for someone else? Not on your life! Someone told me to picture my child on that cross. It is a picture that is unbearable. Unthinkable. No, no, no! Yet the Father loves us that much.
Wow, what a love!
Yesterday I wrote about my first Holy Thursday. Today I realized that although most liturgical churches celebrate the cleansing of the church on Thursday, Fr. Fulton’s shocking service was on Good Friday. I remember slipping into the church on Saturday night to see if it was “right” again, and witnessing the glorious transformation from bare to filled with Easter flowers. As we head into Easter weekend, let us think about that amazing love. You and I are part of “whoever.” That’s us! Meditating on the crucifixion may be hard to get through, but then we look forward to the joy of Easter — of the resurrection!
Chocolate rabbits, peeps, new clothes, and children hunting Easter eggs are all fun, but they are not THE Easter. This year, as every year, I look forward to joining other Christians in the joyous celebration of outrageous love!