Day 6: Good Friday

 

The Last Supper prepares us to understand the death of Jesus on Good Friday. It is not a tragic accident, a cosmic mistake. It is not the just the death of another criminal, or the sad end to another failed prophet with messianic delusions. It was God’s way of atoning, accounting for sin, bringing judgment on sin, while at the same time reconciling his people to himself.

Good Friday is the dark day of the Christian calendar. Traditionally the churches would be draped in black. It is a day of mourning. Although we live in the light of the resurrection, we should not forget that salvation came at a cost, the cost of the life of the Son of God. We should not reduce the emotional range of our faith on joy alone. While in this life, our joy is mingled with sadness. And the Lamb that sits on the throne is a slain that has been slain. So we give one day to remember and mourn for the price that was paid, for the willingness of Jesus to endure suffering and shame and go to the cross for us.  

 Quiet your soul. Read the story of the crucifixion Mt:27:1-60; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 18-19.

Wear a sign of mourning, black clothing, or a black ribbon or armband. Or put a symbol of mourning up in your home. Keep a somber place in your heart – even as you go about your day, fulfilling your responsibilities. This is a day for confession and acknowledgement of our own sin that brought him to the cross. In your prayer time, remember these things. Today we acknowledge our sin atoned for on the cross. But this isn’t the whole story. Tomorrow, we look at another side of the cross.