It's Friday

It’s Friday

“And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.
John 19:17-19


It’s Friday, and all of Jerusalem is quiet. In the upper room, the Passover Supper has proceeded by the ceremonial cups of wine and breaking of unleavened bread. The final cup has been drunk and the feast is over and the disciples fall into conversation trying to understand about the importance of the act they had just been taught. Later, Jesus finishes teaching with his disciples and He asks them to stay awake and pray with Him. But it is Friday, and they tire and fall asleep. It is Friday and Jesus, in a sense, is all alone. His disciples are fast asleep and His heart is pumping at what He knows is before Him. His heart is aching, falling deeper into the realm of agony. The sweat upon Jesus’ face and forehead begin to change color to a deepened hue of red. It’s Friday, and out in the open space walks out Judas followed by soldiers who arrest Jesus in the garden where He was praying. It’s Friday, and the disciples are now hiding, and Peter’s denying that he knows the Lord. Jesus is standing before the high priest of Israel, silent as a lamb before the slaughter. Jesus is then lead before Pontius Pilate where He is scourged in hope of drawing sympathy - but it is Friday. It is Friday and Jesus is beaten, mocked and spat upon! The Roman solder are flogging our Lord with a leather scourge that has bits of bones, glass and metal that tear the flesh from the body and the Son of Man stands firm as they press the crown of thorns down into His brow. It is Friday and the crowd yells out; “Crucify Him!” See our Lord walking to Calvary, the blood dripping from His body. See the cross crashing down on His back as He stumbles beneath the load. The Roman soldiers are driving the nails into the feet and hands of my Lord and He cries out “Father, forgive them.” Yes, it is Friday. Friday, and our Lord is hanging on the cross, bloody and dying. It is Friday and Mary is crying her eyes out, the disciples are running in every direction like sheep without a shepherd. It is Friday and as the sky grows dark, the people say; darkness is going to rule the world, darkness is going to be everywhere. But what they don’t know is that it is only Friday. It is Friday and even though the world is rotten, as rotten as it is now, we know that it is only Friday. Friday. . . But Sunday is coming! It is Friday and Jesus struggles to draw himself up on the cross so He can speak. He clenches His teeth against the pain until His knees where straight again so he could breath and cry out “It is finished!” Jesus is hanging on the cross and Heaven is weeping while hell is partying. The earth trembled and the veil of the Temple that separates sinful man from Holy God was torn from top to bottom – all because it’s Friday!


It was on that horrible day 2000 years ago that Jesus the Christ, the Lord of Glory, the only begotten Son of God, the only perfect Man died on the cross of Calvary. Satan thought that he had won the victory. Surely he had destroyed the Son of God. Finally he had disproved the prophecy God had uttered in the Garden and the one who was to crush his head had been destroyed. But that was Friday, Friday….Now it's Sunday. And just about dawn of the first day of the week, there was a great earthquake. But that wasn’t the only thing shaking because now it’s Sunday. The angel of the Lord is coming down out of Heaven and rolling away the door of the tomb. The guards posted at the tomb to keep guard of Jesus body have disappeared, shaking in their boots. The Lamb that was silent before the slaughter is now the resurrected Lion for the tribe of Judah for He is not here, declares the angel! He is risen indeed. It is Sunday and the crucified/resurrected Christ has defeated death, hell, sin and the grave – all because it’s Sunday! And now, everything has changed. It’s the age of grace, God’s grace poured out on all who would look to that crucified Lamb of Calvary. Grace freely given to all who would believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary, was buried and rose again. All because it is Sunday.


For some of you it may be a Friday. Things may look dark and desperate. Your friends and love ones may have forsaken you and quite frankly – you may feel like you haven’t a friend in the world. Maybe you are in deep pain and agony, either spiritually or physically or both. Maybe you are feeling crushed as it were and not sure you can bear the load another minute. And just maybe you are at a point of just giving up. Friend, there is someone who loves you more than a brother or a sister, mom or dad could ever love you. He is the Son of God, God the Son; the Lamb that was Slain who now liveth. While it might be Friday, your Sunday could be three days away. Hang on, live your life for Jesus and look for Sunday to come…


“Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words, And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.”
Luke 24:1-9



- This was taken from an email sent to me. May it be a blessing to you on this most precious of all holidays. Thank you Jesus, for your death on the cross FOR ME but more importantly thank you that you resurrected and we now can have hope.