Friday, April 06, 2012

Good Friday.

by Jo Reimer
Sermon Note by Jo Reimer
What's so good about Good Friday?

Perhaps it seems strange to celebrate a man's death, especially by crucifiction which is possibly the most painful death imaginable. Mobs of otherwise normal men and women stood around screaming, "crucify him, crucify him"... and they did. If you've read the accounts of Jesus' death in the Bible or seen The Passion of the Christ you have an idea of the emotions whirling around Jerusalem that day as Jesus was  arrested, tried, sentenced to death, and then paraded through town carrying the heavy cross-member of his own cross.

Sermon Note by Jo Reimer

And when they got to the place of death he was nailed to that cross where he hung for hours until he finally died. But then strange things started happening: the sky turned black as night and the earth trembled, tombs broke open and dead people came to life.
Sermon Note by Jo Reimer

...while back in the city inside the Jewish Temple the 7" thick veil that separated the holiest place from the ordinary people split down the middle. This enormous felted woolen tapestry split from the top down! and people had access into the holy place. 

Terror stalked Jerusalem that morning...

People who loved Jesus took his body down and buried in a wealthy friend's grave, a cave in the side of the hill, and an enormous flat stone was rolled over the grave opening.

(This is a tomb in a hillside in Jerusalem which many think is the actual tomb of Jesus. Perhaps it is. )

Family and friends wept.  That Friday didn't seem so good to them.

But to those who know the rest of the story the events of that day we now call Good Friday began a weekend to remember and an event which we look upon as the most important time in history, when the Son of God died in our place, bearing punishment so we won't have to, paying the ultimate sacrifice for us.

And then comes Easter.

5 comments:

  1. beautiful works of art...
    testifying to the amazing and wonderful work and gift of God for us, for love.

    xxoo

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  2. Beautifully written, felt and illustrated. His amazing love!

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  3. Jo, great post. It is a Kingdom principle that the majority of Christians have forgotten: the path of suffering for God leads to supernatural victory. Praying this attitude will change...

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  4. The ungodly attitude of Christians that is!!

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  5. Wonderful post as when I was little, I never understood why the church could call it *GOOD* Friday. Thru a child's eyes I saw the pain and suffering. As an adult, I can see it takes a divine amount of GOOD to willingly go through what He did.
    For us.
    Going from being raised Catholic (with a crucifix prominent in the sanctuary) to a protestant church with only a cross, I still wear a crucifix, because it is my reminder of the real sacrifice made.....
    May you have a Blessed Easter.

    XXOO~~
    Anne

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