GOOD FRIDAY

I cannot imagine walking down a familiar road in my town and seeing human beings hanging on rough hand-cut crosses.  The pain, cries, sweat, blood, flies, heat, and smell must have been horrific.  The religious and political leaders sneering, laughing and mocking added to the surreal scene. Relatives, friends, and people passing by must have been in some type of shock at the sight. The Roman method of capital punishment was unbelievably cruel.

Watching someone you love hang there must have been unbearable!

How Mary, His friends and His disciples even lived through that day is remarkable! I wonder if his mother cried out, "let it be over soon."

The Bible says the sky went dark from about noon until three o'clock.

Maybe that was some type of comfort, a type of sheltering from the intense heat, the sneers, the gawkers.

It WAS over about three that day!  All the hope His disciples had placed in Him to make things right, to overthrow Roman rule, and to vindicate their loyalty to Him, all gone. He was dead! 

All their misplaced theories and desires were crushed.  They gathered at a hiding place as well.  Their lives were on the line now too.  To those alive then, that Friday was NOT good!

What sorrow! What indescribable grief!

 Where is the grief today, where is the sorrow for all the sin of the world that put Him there?

I don't see a lot of grieving over sin these days.  In fact, that word is not politically correct.  Just try to bring it into casual conversation! Sin these days is defined as just an alternate life-style that must be embraced. Every man does what is right in HIS own eyes!  Our culture is dark and evil seems to be gaining ground.

The cross proved that sin is horrific and demands a price. The price offered and received that day was the body of the Son of God.

God have mercy on us all!