It's Friday, but Sunday's Coming!

Today is Good Friday. It was anything but “good” on that day that they took Jesus after having persecuted Him all through the night awakening the High Priest, calling a mock trial that had so many flaws an unlearned citizen could see them. And then taking Him to Pilate who was too chicken hearted to make a decision according to his own instincts saying, “I find no fault in this man” then handing Him to the crazed crowd of people to be beaten and crucified. It was a horrible night.

Yet, everything went according to God’s plan. Hundreds of years earlier prophets had spoken to prepare the people for what would come. The Psalmist wrote words eerily similar to Jesus words and what happened on the “Good” Friday that Jesus was crucified. Psalms 22:1; 12-18 (NIV) “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? 12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. 13 Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. 18 They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.”

Then Isaiah spoke. Isaiah 53:3-12 (NIV) “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

So clear are both of these prophetic words spoken, inspired by the Holy Spirit, hundreds of years before Jesus actually suffered and died for us. So detailed are the descriptions from physical details of Jesus’ experience to how and where He was buried to the fact that He bore the sins of others and interceded for sinners. Yet, what is Good Friday to us was to the disciples and other followers of Jesus the Friday they lost everything they’d hoped for. They thought He would deliver them from the oppression of the day that they lived under. They thoughts He would be their King that would rule then and there. That would have been only for a few decades of their lives. What they couldn’t see was that they were right... He came to deliver and rule but not for a few decades... He came for eternity! It was a black Friday for them but Sunday did come! Sunday when He came out of the tomb!

For you today it may look like that black Friday did to the disciples, but remember Sunday’s Coming! Pat Barnes tells the following story in the March 1995 issue of Guidepost magazine.

It was a beautiful spring day, and a sense of peace stayed with me as I left the cathedral on Easter Monday morning. I paused for a moment on top of the steps leading to the avenue, now crowded with people rushing to their jobs. Sitting in her usual place inside a small archway was the old flower lady. At her feet corsages and boutonnieres were parading on top of a spread-open newspaper. The flower lady was smiling, her wrinkled old face alive with some inner joy. I started down the stairs——then, on an impulse, turned and picked out a flower.

As I put it in my lapel, I said, “You look happy this morning.”

“Why not? Everything is good.”

She was dressed so shabbily and seemed so very old that her reply startled me. “You’ve been sitting here for many years now, haven’t you? And always smiling. You wear your troubles well.”

“You can’t reach my age and not have troubles,” she replied. “Only it’s like Jesus and Good Friday . . . ” She paused for a moment.

“Yes?” I prompted.

“Well, when Jesus was crucified on Good Friday, that was the worst day for the whole world. And when I get troubles I remember that, and then I think of what happened only three days later——Easter and our Lord arising. So when I get troubles, I’ve learned to wait three days . . . somehow everything gets all right again.”

And she smiled good-bye. Her words still follow me whenever I think I have troubles. Give God a chance to help . . . wait three days. — SOURCE: By Patt Barnes, March 1995 issue of Guideposts.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, if I said to You every day of my life, a thousand times everyday of my life that I have left to live, “Thank You for suffering for me, thank You for taking my sins to that cross, thank You for taking my sickness and disease in Your body, thank You for carrying my grief and sorrow, thank You for forgiving me on that day”, it would never be enough. I am grateful. Please forgive me in the rush of life for not saying often enough, “Thank You!” Thank You for the future I have because of Your selfless gift. AMEN.

Blessings!
Pastor Roger