Category Archives: Good Friday

The Romans Challenge: God Demonstrates His Love

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“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today is Romans 5.

I am always amazed at the love of God. It is beyond my human comprehension. I have done absolutely nothing to deserve His love, but He pours it out on me in abundance.

Romans 5:8 is one of my favorite verses in Romans. It tells us that when we were against God, deeply trapped within our sins, Jesus died for us. This is God’s greatest demonstration of His love.

I know in my own life that I was in a mess made by my own choices. I was unable to free myself from sins grip. BUT JESUS!

Within my own abilities, I would probably find it hard to die for a good person, and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t entertain the thoughts of dying for someone who was evil. Especially if that person had chosen to live as an enemy of me. Yet, Jesus did just that!

I have heard it said that our choices to sin, in reality, is “cosmic treason against God.” Our choice to sin is a deliberate choice against Him. Yet even though we have lived our lives chasing after sinful ways, Jesus provided the way for us to be free!

Jesus demonstrated God’s love for His rebellious children — sinners… He died for us!

Thank You Jesus for Your amazing love!

Show Us The Father — Life

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Today is Mark 15 and 16.

Every time I read the account of the crucifixion, I feel a sense of sadness. To think of the accusations, the false trial, the mocking, the beatings, the carrying of the cross up the hill of Golgotha, the nails being driven into Jesus, and Him being lifted up on the cross… such sadness.

But Praise God the story does not end in death.

Jesus came to show us life! Not only show us, but to make the way for us to experience His life. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…” We experience Life when we experience Him! He and the Father are one. Our Heavenly Father is life!

From the moment of creation, when Our Heavenly Father breathed life into every living being, until now. He is the ultimate source of life. The very breath of life we experience in our lungs comes straight from Him. However there will be a day when that breathing will cease in each one of us… What then?

Jesus showed us on resurrection Sunday what God’s good plan for us is — resurrection life! Eternal life!

We do not have to fear death. Our Heavenly Father desires for us to experience His eternal life. Sin brought death into our world, but we do not have to experience an eternity of the separation of death. 

“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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?””
‭‭John‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Show Us The Father — Abandoned

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Abandoned — To give over entirely.

Today is Mark 14.

Jesus at any moment in His 33 years on earth could have changed His course to the cross. He knew exactly why He had came. He knew how this would all play out. He knew the rejection He would suffer. He knew the pain He would endure. Yet He “abandoned” Himself. He gave Himself over to the purpose of His Heavenly Father.

Over and over in this chapter He warned the disciples that He was going to suffer and die. But He chose to abandon His will that desired for His Heavenly Father to “take this cup” from Him. Then He spoke these words, “Yet not what I will, but what You will.” (Verse 36)

Jesus gave Himself. The Father gave His Son! (John 3:16). Our Heavenly Father abandoned, gave over entirely, His Son for us out of His love. When I consider this great love, my thoughts go to what my response should be.

In every situation and circumstance of my life, may I echo the words of my loving Savior. “Yet not what I will, but what You will.” My Heavenly Father gave without reservation His only Son. Jesus gave without reservation His very life. May I give without reservation EVERYTHING I am and live a life that is abandoned to God’s will!

Reflections on John 19: Where Do You Come From?

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Pilate could not find a good reason to crucify Jesus. He knew the religious leaders of the Jews had brought Jesus to him out of jealousy. Pilate had Jesus beaten in hopes that this would suffice the crowds. As Pilate presented Jesus to the crowd he told them, “Here is the man!” The crowds shouted all the more loudly crucify Him! At this point, the Jews told Pilate that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. This made Pilate afraid. He asked Jesus, “Where do you come from?” Once again Pilate is faced with a decision and it had become crunch time. He tried to wiggle his way out of making the final decision to crucify Jesus.

What complicated matters was Pilate had heard that Jesus was not only King, but He was the Son of God! The Romans were surrounded with a long list of gods/ idols they worshipped. They feared offending or angering any of their long list of gods. The possibility of Jesus being God made Pilate shutter. He wanted nothing to do with Jesus being crucified. Wanting to verify what he had heard from the Jews he asked Jesus, “Where do you come from?”

We often live our lives as Pilate did. We want to live in conformity of the world around us, but we also have Jesus- the man standing in front of us. We understand where Jesus came from. We know Jesus is the Son of God, yet we don’t want to fully live in that reality. It would mean an upset of our lives, our control, our power over ourselves. Pilate knew where Jesus came from, but in order to preserve his power, his way, his “self”, he handed Jesus over to be crucified.

Jesus is before us today. We ask the same question Pilate asked Jesus, “Where do you come from?” May we decide to give ourselves in response to what we already know is true, Jesus is the Son of God our Heavenly King!

Reflections on John 18:25-40: Who Is Your King?

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During His arrest and trial, Jesus could have fought back. He had all the power and position to do that. He was innocent and without sin. He was and still is KING!

As Jesus stood before Pilate, the Roman governor, Pilate wanted to know what charges Jesus had against Him. The leaders simply said that they wouldn’t bring Him to Pilate if He wasn’t a criminal. They wanted the permission only granted by the Romans to execute Jesus. Pilate then stands face to face with Jesus and he asks Jesus a profound question, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Pilate stood as many of us stand today, uncertain of what to do with Jesus. If Jesus is who He claims to be, that requires a response on our part. It required a response on Pilate’s part. No one comes in contact with Jesus without having to make a decision. The decision is whether or not to accept His kingship. Since Jesus is King (Sovereign, Supreme Authority), we encounter Him as King just as Pilate did, this is where the decision is made. Whose King is He? We can know He is a King. We can know He is over all. But do we live with Him as our own King? As ruler of all of our lives? Exactly who is Jesus king over?

Pilate rejected Jesus’s kingship. Pilate missed His face to face opportunity to finally know the truth, God. Do we reject that same opportunity given to us when we come to the question above?

Exactly who is Jesus King over? Is He King over you?

Reflections on John 18:1-23: I Am He

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This chapter records the beginning of the events that led up to Jesus’ crucifixion. When the soldiers came to arrest Him and they told Jesus who they were looking for, “Jesus of Nazareth”, Jesus spoke the words, “I am He.” John records the reaction of the soldiers. “They drew back and fell to the ground.” Why would they react in such a way? They were men carrying weapons who had come with authority and power.

The soldiers had come in contact with the King of Heaven, who had ultimate power and ultimate authority. His words were spoken centuries before when He told Moses, “I AM has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:14) It was understood by the Jews of Jesus time that God was “The Great I Am.” Jesus spoke the same declaration, “I Am.” When encountered with Jesus’ words declaring Himself God, they “fell to the ground” at the power of Jesus’ words.

Jesus could have stopped the events to follow at any time. His words were powerful enough to cause big burly soldiers to fall down. BUT He did not stop what would happen. He was determined to follow through with total submission and total obedience to His Father’s will knowing exactly what He would suffer.

What love! And What an example to us who desire to follow Him with all our hearts! May we follow Him with total submission and total obedience to His will and His plan for our lives as well!

Finally Free (Poem Originally Written 2007)

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Good Friday is here! Reflecting on what Jesus did on the cross becomes the focus of this day. Where would I be had Good Friday never happened? No hope, Fear, Torment… Lost. The truth of the matter is it was my rebellion, my choices, my sin that Jesus took upon himself on the cross. He essentially did the equivalent of running into a burning building and pulling me out at the cost of His own precious life. All this so I could be free and experience His love. He is just that Good! 

Finally Free- (originally written 3/4/2007)

I know where I come from.
I know You are the Holy One
With sin filled heart I spat in your face.
I am nothing apart from your grace.

Your nail scarred feet ran to rescue me. 
Your blood stained hands reached out to me.
From the fire you have pulled me.
Oh what I owe is too much to see. 

Your arms of love surround me. 
And draw me to the side pierced for me. 
You saved me
I am finally free!

May I kiss the hand of the one who saved me. 
With grateful tears may I wash your feet. 
I long to gaze in your beautiful face. 
I am grateful for your grace.  

Your arms of love surround me.
And draw me to the side pierced for me.
You saved me
I am finally free!

“I Want What I Have Paid For”

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“But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.”

Isaiah 53:5

(Last Sunday afternoon I spent some time surfing the internet. I came across a church service online from a church that my husband and I attended years ago. This illustration came from their opening of the service. It struck me because it is something I’m sure we all experience. In fact, I experienced it a couple of weeks ago, so I will relay my occurrence.)

Every once and awhile I get a hankering for a large McDonalds UNSWEET Tea. It’s a dollar and some change, so when I’m out and about it seems like a little treat to me. I DO NOT LIKE the Sweet Tea. It is so thick with sugar. I feel like I’m trying to suck down some kind of syrup. So strange as it may seem Unsweet is what I go after. Two weeks ago, I took my grandson for a ride in my Jeep. We ran through the McDonald’s drive thru to get him an ice cream cone and me… you guessed it an UNSWEET tea. I tried my best to enunciate in the drive through order box that I wanted UNNNNNN Sweet. So, I felt pretty confident they would get it right. I handed the mini-ice cream cone to my grandson and sat my Tea in the cup holder. Off we went. All was well until I finally found the straw they gave me, stuck it in the cup, and took a swig. SWEET… UGH! I was already down the hill and entering the roundabout towards the next destination. My first thought was, “Oh well, you didn’t really need it anyway.” But then it hit me. I paid for Unsweet. I wanted Unsweet. I will go back and get it. So I did. I pulled up to the window and explained that I had purchased an Unsweet Tea and they had given me sweet. In a matter of less than a minute, I was happily pulling away from the window with the Tea I ordered. All this over a cup of tea that cost me a little over a dollar and some change. But I wanted what I paid for.

Starting today, Palm Sunday, we have entered Holy Week. I come from a tradition that observed little of the week with exception of Good Friday. But In more recent years I appreciate the remembrance and celebration of the days leading up to Easter Sunday. Especially the observance of Good Friday. Reflecting on the price Jesus paid for me to live free each year is so very important. As the verse above states, “The punishment that brought us peace was laid upon Him”. He gave all of Himself, so we could be in relationship with Him and live the life we were originally created to live before sin entered and our world, our lives were broken. We however choose to live lives that are far from what He purchased for us to live. He came that we would “have life and have it more abundantly” or as some versions say “to the full”. John 10:10. He came to make us subjects of His royal kingdom, heirs to His promises. Yet we choose to do what I almost did at the roundabout when I discovered I did not get the Tea I paid for: think oh well, I don’t need it anyway, and drive away… BUT Jesus wants us to live in EVERY Blessing He paid for us to live within. He “Wants what He paid for ” in our lives. He wants us to not settle, but to be willing to pursue and run towards the “prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14. He wants us to “take ahold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of Us”. As we go through each day approaching the celebration of Good Friday and then Easter, I believe God wants us to reflect on this one thing. As the old Hymn says, “Jesus Paid it all. All to Him I owe…” Am I living a life full of what Jesus paid the price for me to obtain? Am I experiencing His peace? If not, time to go through the spiritual roundabout back to where you got away from HIm and the peace He paid for you to have. Am I experiencing His joy? If not, time for a U Turn Go back to the only true source of Joy, Jesus. Am I living in His Love? No? Go back to the place you were when you walked away from your First Love. He paid such a great price on the cross so we could live in these. Don’t cheapen the tears that rolled down His face, the bloody stripes across His back, the nail prints in His hands and feet, by being unwilling to go back to Him. He is saying “I want what I have paid for in your life!” not because He is a “demanding” God, But because HE IS GOOD! And He loves us SOOOOO much! He is not satisfied for us to have a half fulfilled life. He wants to overflow us with ALL He has paid for, we are the ones who choose to go after it by going after Him or going our own way, turning down the Good He offers us.