Friday, April 18, 2014

The Good In Good Friday



This photo is of Brenda White Giles, a high school friend, who died this week from cancer.  The first thing I noticed about Brenda when I met her were her sparking green eyes, then her engaging smile which added more sparkle to those beautiful eyes. I loved her playful demeanor, which included a touch of mischievousness and her upbeat attitude, she always had a positive outlook on life rather than a negative one, which is an attribute that makes it a joy to be around someone, and Brenda was certainly a joy to be with.

Her death is mourned by many who loved her and she will be greatly missed.  Which brings me to Good Friday, the day that Jesus, the Christ, died.

Why in the world would a day that someone dies be called Good? My dad died of lung cancer, a horrible way to die...I would not call that day good.  When my mom died, I would not call that a good day!  One of my sisters died in a tragic car accident that caused horrific injury, certainly that was not a good day. Another sister died from cancer...not a good day.  One of my husband's sisters died from a car accident, she suffered greatly from her injuries before succumbing to death's call...good day? not for us.  My husband's uncle died, lost to us behind the dark curtain of Alzheimer’s  disease, so sad, I can not call that a good day either. And, the list goes on and on.  I know you have all faced these tragedies too and probably would not call it a good day.

So, why was this horrific death of Jesus called Good Friday?

Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted. 
 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. 
 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
 each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
 the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:

No other death could have satisfied the punishment our iniquity deserved except the punishment and death of Jesus.  

My friend Brenda's death this week from a devastating disease, mine and my husband's family members who have died, they each, being an eternal being, stepped from this life into an eternal life provided by the "suffering servants" death.  His sacrifice took away the sting of death for them.  That put the Good in Good Friday.

For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”  

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 
1Cornithians 15:53-57  

Good Friday wasn't the end
Resurrection Sunday Followed.

Share..Inspire..Create..Believe
~willa~

 

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend Willa. I'm sure she would have been so touch by your beautiful and kind words about her. I'm touched by the beautiful way you've explained Good Friday. The older I get the deeper the meaning of Jesus's crucifixion is to me. Tears well up when I think about it. Thank God I can call him Father.

I hope you and your family have a beautiful and blessed Easter weekend friend.

Unknown said...

I am so sorry for your loss, Willa, but I am so thankful to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Praise God :)
Kim

Carolyn said...

Hi Willa! Lovely post. So very sorry for all the losses you & your family have suffered.

I have been away for awhile, partly because of the death of my Daddy and some other reasons.

I hope to visit you again soon. Take care and know that your post will truly help so many others understand the Good in Good Friday.

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