Today is Good Friday. How many of y’all have had lots of “Good Fridays?” Have you ever been hurt, rejected, disappointed or consumed with anger? Hang in there, Sunday is coming.
The Jewish people also had lots of “Good Fridays”…for over three hundred years. And don’t you know the Jewish people were ready for a rumble– a warrior king to reign fire and brimstone down on their enemies. So Jesus arrives on a donkey and they celebrated by laying down palm branches. Only days later, they turned on him. What happened? To the Jewish people this week was not what they thought it would be.
Think about your own personal “Fridays.” You probably hoped that some form of punishment would reign down on your enemies, too. Oh, yeah, you know it’s coming….but it never did. AND, you did nothing wrong… Not to compare apples to apples but it’s sorta like the life of Christ.
Hanging on the cross, Christ said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” He forgave and then, Jesus died. So sad, right? It’s over, done, finished…not so fast.
Then came Sunday. Jesus made the most stunning comeback the world has ever seen. We even count time by him. It was one of the greatest victories, ever.
The message is: forgive others who wrong you so you too can be resurrected from bitterness, anger and pain. This week may be a failure for those who wanted a Warrior King but this week is a victory for those who want a Redeemer king.
Pass it on.
