Today is Good Friday. You probably knew that.
If you didn't, Good Friday is the day that we remember the death of Jesus Christ, earthly son of Mary and raised by a carpenter named Joseph. Heavenly Son of God in human flesh.
He was fully God and fully man. Completely integrated. A human and divine sacrifice meant to absolve for sin and bring us into communion with God. He chose to die. I believe He could have walked away if he wanted to, but had the ability to choose, just as we have the ability to choose whether or not to follow God.
This Lenten season I have tried to remind myself to focus on what God did for us during this time. Especially this Holy Week, I have tried to remember daily what was going on in His life. Yesterday we held a Seder, as we believe he would have been doing, when he instituted Communion. Today we will experience darkness as we extinguish candles in a darkened church. Tomorrow we will life in tension as we wait for the dawn of the resurrection. Sunday we will preach the good news - He is Risen! Risen Indeed!
I had help remembering this week. I made bracelets last Friday with my 7th and 8th grade students at a ministry I work at; flashy, girly things with glittering jewels and mirror crosses. They are nothing like the pain endured this week by the Christ. But shiny and bold enough to remind me that people can see them, and wonder. It is my job to tell them what it means.
So let me make sure to tell you. God loved you so much that he gave himself up for you that you might be able to find Him. That He wanted you to see Him is something unquestionable. He wanted you to know that He loves you. He wants you to know that He is there, waiting for you, if you just ask.
Maybe you find the Christ story confusing. Maybe it doesn't all make sense. And I would agree - it doesn't all make sense sometimes. But I can testify to this - my life would be undone without Him in it. I simply can't imagine it any other way.
Come experience His ridiculous beautiful love. He's waiting for you.
