Holy Week day 6

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 For Christians, today is Good Friday.  It begs the questions, "What's so good about it?"  It is the day of Jesus death.  It was a horrible death reserved for the worst of criminals and yet Jesus never sinned.  Ever.  He never did a single thing wrong.....which is why we call him the Lamb of God....the perfect sacrifice to take the place of our sins.....but thinking about that doesn't feel so good to me.  It feels sad and frustrating and tragic.  There was no other way for us to get to God because a perfect love cannot share space with so much sin.....and so that's it.  Love had to come to us and make a way for us to get back to Love.....

Here is what makes Good Friday good for me.  That dirty devil probably thought he won on Good Friday.  Jesus had died.  He didn't rescue his people right then or declare his kingship over all...and I'm guessing that stinking, lying, cheating, rotton devil thought he had it in the bag.  The master of lies, the author of all pain and fear and loss and brokennes.....the reason we cry and tremble and destroy ourselves and our relationships with others, the one who divides and destroys and plants seeds of guilt and shame and condemnation and hatred and malice and racism and hypocricy.....yes.  I know him well.  I know the voice.  I know the thoughts.  I know the plans and the schemes and the tricks he uses.  He knows me well, too.  

In Jesus name, I take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ.  That is the battlefield and that is where we advance as Christians and where victory can be had against the liar.  It works.  I promise.  It works because of Good Friday.  Jesus went down to hell for me and for my sin and he battled there for me and for you....and.  He.  won.  

Now that, friends, is a Good, Good Friday. 

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