Friday, March 29, 2013

Sad Day of Change

Today is a sad day for me. Good Friday seems like such a strange name for this horrible day. I keep thinking of what Jesus must have been going through over 2000 years ago. The punishment, pain and humiliation had to have been more than most anyone could stand. 






He had been up all night, tired, ridiculed, spit upon, dirty and abandoned. Even though Jesus stood before them in this condition, the deliverers of all this pain, I'm sure, could still see the specialness, the regalness, the quietness, the acceptance of all that was being done Him. Even as they led Him to the cross.

Matthew 27: 11-14, 26-31,45-50,54


11 Jesus was placed before the governor, who questioned him: “Are you the ‘King of the Jews’?”
Jesus said, “If you say so.”
12-14 But when the accusations rained down hot and heavy from the high priests and religious leaders, he said nothing. Pilate asked him, “Do you hear that long list of accusations? Aren’t you going to say something?” Jesus kept silence—not a word from his mouth. The governor was impressed, really impressed.



26 Then he pardoned Barabbas. But he had Jesus whipped, and then handed over for crucifixion.

27-31 The soldiers assigned to the governor took Jesus into the governor’s palace and got the entire brigade together for some fun. They stripped him and dressed him in a red toga. They plaited a crown from branches of a thorn bush and set it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand for a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mocking reverence: “Bravo, King of the Jews!” they said. “Bravo!” Then they spit on him and hit him on the head with the stick. When they had had their fun, they took off the toga and put his own clothes back on him. Then they proceeded out to the crucifixion.

45-46 From noon to three, the whole earth was dark. Around mid afternoon Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
47-49 Some bystanders who heard him said, “He’s calling for Elijah.” One of them ran and got a sponge soaked in sour wine and lifted it on a stick so he could drink. The others joked, “Don’t be in such a hurry. Let’s see if Elijah comes and saves him.”
50 But Jesus, again crying out loudly, breathed his last.
54 The captain of the guard and those with him, when they saw the earthquake and everything else that was happening, were scared to death. They said, “This has to be the Son of God!”

As I said they had to see Christ's specialness, His realness. He was who He said He was. He was and is the Son of God!

The Son of God, was bringing change. Not the kind of change that comes from a new hair color, a new dress or a new hat for Easter morning. 

No we was bringing change that scared the priest of the temple, the priest that were so devoted to the laws.  

He was bringing the changing of the old laws to the new time of Grace.

He was bringing change that has changed the whole world, from our hearts to our calendar. 

Yes today is a very sad day.  Yes, but as we wait we know we are waiting for the most miraculous change of all, resurrection.

Happy Easter!!

Blessings

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