GOOD FRIDAY: Hope Out of Horror
Good Friday is a day of deep contemplation and reflection on the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus dying for our sins. It was through His horror - His death - that we are granted Hope. The hope of everlasting life.
When we look at the events leading up to Jesus' crucifixion, we see that he was betrayed by one of his disciples, arrested, tried, and sentenced to death. He was mocked, beaten and forced to carry his cross to the place of execution. After arriving at Golgotha, Jesus was laid horizontally on the cross where His hands were nailed to the wooden beams. The vibrational pounding of iron meeting wood caused agonizing pain as the nails pierced through sensitive nerve endings in the hands.
Then by a series of ropes and pulleys, the cross, with Jesus attached only by His hands, would have been raised to a vertical position. Steadied by Roman Centurions, the cross was inched to a two to three foot deep hole encased in an iron or steel sleeve into which the cross would suddenly drop causing additional, horrible pain as the hands bore the force of the drop and the weight of Jesus’ body. The feet would then be pulled up and nailed to the cross. Jesus’ positioning on the cross, with His weight pulling down, immediately caused difficulty in breathing and pain in the chest area - an added discomfort which only increased with time.
Crucifixion was intentionally designed to be an agonizingly slow death by suffocation, dehydration, and shock. Death usually took, at the least, several hours and could even stretch into days. The physical suffering would become unbearable.
As Jesus hung on the cross, He endured unimaginable pain and suffering - all for the sake of saving us. What is so amazing about Jesus' sacrifice is that he did not deserve to die. He was without sin, yet he willingly gave his life so that we could be forgiven and reconciled to God. This is the ultimate act of love that anyone could ever demonstrate.
On this Good Friday, let us take a moment to reflect on the significance of Jesus' sacrifice, for it is a reminder of the depth of God's love for each and every one of us. Let us remember that because of what Jesus did on the cross, we can have hope, peace, and forgiveness. Let us also take the time to offer thanks to God for his gift of salvation.
As we look forward to Easter Sunday, let us not forget the sacrifice that was made on Good Friday. Let us cling to the hope that we have in Christ. May the sacrifice of Jesus be forever etched in our hearts and minds, reminding us of the greatness of God's love.
Our attempt to imagine the horrors of Good Friday can be overwhelming at times. We are forced to confront the reality of sin and its consequences. We are reminded of the brutality of human nature, the pain that we cause each other, and the distance that we have created between ourselves and God. The horrors of Good Friday are a reminder of how much we need God’s forgiveness and grace. But the horrors of Good Friday also bring hope. Hope in the knowledge that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was not in vain. His death and resurrection paved the way for our salvation. Through his blood, we have been redeemed, and we have the opportunity to be reconciled with God. Let us remember that we are not alone in our suffering. God is with us, and he has made a way for us to be saved. Let us hold onto that hope, and let it carry us through the trials of life. May our hearts be filled with gratitude and reverence for the ultimate sacrifice that was made on this day.
