Sabbath
It’s still Good Friday. He still died for our sins. He still rose on the third day. The world may still be distracted by this pandemic, but by his stripes we are still healed. . We may not fill the churches to capacity. We may not be able to worship collectively. But, It’s still the Sabbath!
The Plan
The Plan was always redemption. The Plan was to be born to a virgin. The Plan was to live a blameless life. The Plan was to reconcile man back to God. The Plan was to make disciples to spread the gospel. The Plan was perform miracles so that people would believe. The Plan was to be accused. The Plan was to be condemned. The Plan was to be beaten. The Plan was to be crucified. The Plan was to be resurrected. The Plan was executed thousands of years ago. The Plan was that you would come to know Christ as your Lord and Savior. The Plan was that you would be forgiven. The Plan was for you to believe. You were a part of The Plan all along. Happy Good Friday! What’s your plan?
Everlasting
As a kid, I never understood why "Good Friday" was called Good Friday when so much bad happened. I mean imagine being betrayed by a friend, arrested, beaten, and tried six times in two courts all to be sentenced to death for crimes you didn't commit. To add insult to injury, Jesus died to redeem the very people who deny/denied, reject/ rejected, and betray/betrayed him. My God. Jesus did something that has had an everlasting effect. His death and resurrection are celebrated on the first Sunday following the first ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or after the day of the vernal equinox every year. Every year, stores are filled with bunnies and eggs that have absolutely nothing to do with Christ's resurrection. Every year, non-church goers flood the pews to hear sermons of how Jesus died for our sins on an old rugged cross. Every year, I am reminded of an Everlasting God with an Everlasting love whose sacrifice opened redemption's door to Everlasting life. Happy Good Friday! Happy Passion Week! Happy Easter!
