It astounds me to think that we can read the news of the death of Jesus and call this day Good Friday. It is a tragedy -- a man who came to save and deliver us was so thoroughly misidentified and mistreated that he was hung on a cross to die, and he was treated so poorly that even the people being crucified near him were reviling him. What kind of statement is it about Jesus' death that people being killed along with him were reviling him? It was awful and humiliating and terrible in every way.
And yet, because of the power and love of God, we're able to call it good, because God brought something amazing out of it. Even as we mourn on Good Friday, we can celebrate in hope because we know that Jesus will be raised from the dead on Easter morning. We know that we know that we know that this isn't the end of the story.
Only God can bring something good out of something so bad.
I don't always know what comes next. I know some people going through some really, really hard times right now, and I don't necessarily have answers for them. I know there are some really rough times in the world right now. I don't know what hope looks like in each and every one of these situations. There are some terrible things -- but because I have seen what God did on Good Friday, I'm hardwired to believe that it is possible to hold onto hope, even in the most desperate times. As we look forward to Easter, I pray that the miracle of Easter takes root in each and every human heart, that we might believe in a God of resurrection and new life, a God who chooses to serve any and all, even in the midst of being rejected. I pray that the world might find the peace of Easter morning overwhelming, and that everyone dealing with conflict and stress and turmoil and violence and disruption and trials might look into an empty tomb and see that life is overwhelming death, so that we might choose life, too.
Have a blessed and wondrous Easter, and may the reality of what God has done for you so capture your imagination that you settle into a place of joy and know the peace of God that passes all understanding!
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