It's Good Friday. A day of celebration, a day where something new is beginning. Easter is coming. Hope is coming.
But today, I cry. Because with this celebration, there's deep pain. Deep, necessary pain.
I read over Luke's account of this day. He writes, 'Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.' I inhale a deep breath of my own and sigh, softly. My eyes swell.
I read on, amazed to find what Luke writes next. He mentions that, of all people, a centurion, seeing what happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man."
Surely. He was.
This righteous man suffered for us. For US! He was judged, abandoned, rejected, mocked, cursed. All of this, for us.
Like the centurion, I choose to believe his righteousness.
But my beliefs go even deeper. I choose to believe that this Jesus was truly the Son of God. I choose believe that he was pierced for my transgressions, that he was crushed because I am inadequate. And beautifully -- in that inadequacy -- I find peace.
My inadequacies no. longer. matter.
On this very special day, which occurred outside the walls of Jerusalem long, long ago, I was forgiven. I was forgiven for the things I've done in my past, for those terrible decisions I made yesterday, and for any anger, malice, envy, foolishness, greed and pride that I will act upon until the end of my days. I was forgiven for everything.
On this day, Jesus saved me.
There's nothing I could or can do to save myself. As I believe in Him, he saves me. He saves me each-and-every-day.
And on this today, I mourn. I hold my breath and wait into the night, through tomorrow's dawn and nightfall, and into the rising of the son on Sunday morning.
I mourn, I wait, and I pray 'O Lord, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help {Jesus}.'
Verse references: Luke 23:46-47, Deuteronomy 21:23, Psalm 89:51, Matthew 26:56, Matthew 26:66, John 3:16, Hebrews 1:3, Isaiah 53:5, Ephesians 2:9, Psalm 22:19
