GOOD FRIDAY 2011

Pastor Todd Christopherson
Mid American Stock Car Series
April 21, 2011

There is not a good or easy way to talk about this week or day in history. Jesus came to Jerusalem with a focus, with a purpose. He, being God, knew the amount of pain that lay ahead of Him. He would have an entry into the city where people would look to Him as their king (looking for quick relief from the Romans) and instead He came humbly. He would eat the Passover knowing He was the central figure of the meal. He would listen to His own disciples say things He knew were not going to happen, yet there was hope because He knew that in the coming years they were going to stand for Him in the face of their own deaths. He would have a long teaching and prayer time. He would have a talk telling Peter to get behind Him and that Peter would deny Him. He would send off the one who was going to betray Him. He would return to prayer in a secluded place. He would allow His betrayer to hug and kiss Him and watch Peter react by taking a swipe to cut an ear. He would listen to the crowd screaming, the soldiers mocking, the High Priest accusing, and Pilate sentencing. He would endure beating, His beard would be pulled out, the sharp cutting of the thorns. He would carry the cross until exhaustion and then crucifixion, one of the most feared, brutal, inhuman tortures knew to mankind. To study what crucifixion is, is sickening. To think of the calculated pain and time management of this tool of agonizing death will repulse anyone. It is an excruciating means of death that no one, let alone an innocent person, has to suffer.

Scripture has lengthy dialogue on the time from Thursday to Friday of that terrible week. In John there are two accounts I wish to remind us of. John 19:18 Here they crucified him, and with him two others-one on each side and Jesus in the middle. John 19:30 Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Remember it is Friday, but Sunday is coming.

Yet Jesus, the Christ, the Lord, God would undergo all of this for you and for me. I cannot imagine the love that He has that would drive Him to die for me and especially to die like this. He did all of this for us to have “peace with Him”, to have an opportunity of salvation.

Do you have that salvation? Do you not, and after reading this had your heart stirred? I cannot give you a special prayer to pray but I can tell you that if you offer your life to God, if you admit to your sin and ask God to forgive, if you confess with your month, “Jesus is Lord” He will save you. Today can be your day of salvation. Then it really could be Good Friday and Easter will be unlike any other you have had.

See you at a track soon and have a great day racin’ in the SONshine,

Todd