Good Friday

...the title given this day always

confused me as a child, what could

be considered 'good' about the

death of Jesus on the cross?

At our Bible Study yesterday

one of our members also commented

on how she found the 'Maundy Thursday'

service to be unsettling, such sadness

and darkness take reign over

the worship service.

Although we all understood the sadness

 of the impending death of our Savior

contributed to the tone of this service

she felt that perhaps this service should

actually be held on 'Good Friday'

the actual day Jesus was crucified.

That the fellowship of Christ with his

disciples at the Last Supper

and the humble nature of our Lord

washing their feet is what should

be reflectedupon on Maundy Thursday.

It was an interesting and thoughtful

meeting to be sure.

On the one hand the brutality

of what happened on that fateful day

could hardly be considered 'good'

the promise of fulfillment of the Scriptures

as well as the promise of Eternal Life

with our Lord are to be considered good.

There have been many artistic

interpretations of the Crucifixion,

growing up Catholic the image

of the cross was ever present

in our church,

 in our home, on our jewelry.

In the Presbyterian Church

where I am now a member the Crucifix

is empty, focusing on the resurrection.

Which ever way you choose to

view the Cross

we should all focus on the cost

of our Salvation.

Those who witnessed this event

first hand could grasp the momentousness

of the sacrifice, I cannot even begin

to imagine what pain Mary experienced

watching her son die for us.

Each year on Good Friday my family

sits down to watch 'The Passion',

which I know was extremely controversial

when it first came out, and it probably

still is seen as such by many.

What I can tell you is that watching

this film forever changed my view

on the the Crucifixion.

This was no longer just a story retold

each spring or some hollywood epic

film of old.

The reality of Christ's sacrifice

made me feel ever more responsibility

to earn God's favor.

I am undeserving of this gift

of salvation,

but Christ paid the price for me,

and you.

This film is quite graphic and not suited for young children

but if you truly want to experience the enormity

of what Easter is all about I highly recommend you watch it.