What a holy time we had in our Good Friday Service yesterday! It was both a somber time, and, a joyous time. You might ask, 'how can something be somber and joyous at the same time?' or, 'why would they call the day Jesus was crucified 'Good Friday?' 

These statements seem strange if not paradoxical or even contradictory to us. 

They are not.

All that Jesus accomplished on Friday is able to be called 'Good' becuase of what happeneed on Sunday. Jesus rose from the grave. Death was defeated, the sting of death removed, swallowed up in victory, because Jesus Christ rose from the grave!

On Friday, Jesus bore our sin, shame and guilt. That should be us on that cross. The one who never committed a sin, the only person who never deserved to die, Jesus Christ, fully God and fully human, laid down His perfect, sinless life for you, for me, for humanity. He bore our griefs, carried our sorrow, pierced for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. He became a curse for us as He took our sin upon Himself-your sin, my sin, and bore the righteous and just wrath of God the Father against sin, against your sin and mine. 

He was broken and beaten, bloodied and made to be a spectacle. He did not resist. Like a lamb led to the slaughter, the Lamb of God laid down His life, doing exactly what He said He would do, so that you and I could be forgiven. He cried out from that cross, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' 

God is Holy and cannot fellowship with sin. For the first time since eternity past, the perfect loving relationship experienced within the Godhead (God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit, one God in three Persons) suffered a break in fellowship as the Father turned away from the Son and poured out the punishment on Him that we deserve. Christ is our substitute. He willingly died a substitionary death for us. 

Amazing grace!

That was Friday. 

If the story ended here, meaning, if the events of Sunday did not occur, then Friday would not be considered 'Good' because dead men cannot save. Dead men cannot impute righteousness to others. Dead men cannot give a meaningful life to others now, nor eternal life. 

If Christ did not rise from the dead, then all of us who believe in Him are deluded, and we are still dead in our sin. We are nothing more than fools to be pitied. Our faith is in vain.

But Sunday came, and on Sunday, Jesus rose from the grave! His resurrection changed everything! The curse was undone. Jesus' resurrection proved He is exactly who He claimed to be and can do exactly what He claimed He could do. He forgives sin. He reconciles us to the Father. He gives us new hearts. He changes us from the inside out. He not only gives us eternal life, He gives us an abundant life now, and for all who belong to Him, for all who trust in Him and all who belong to Him (He offers salvation freely as a gift), He gives all of this and more-He gives Himself. 

Sunday changes everything! We can be forgiven because of Christ! We can be made new because of Christ! He's not some dead prophet. He's not some dead spiritual teacher. He is God the Son, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and all glory goes to Him! 

He is still changing lives. He is still saving. He is still healing broken hearts and still in the business of making the ugly...beautiful, and the glorious thing is, only HE can receive glory and honor for this! We who are in Christ have nothing to boast in. We did nothing to save ourselves. All glory belongs to Him, to the King!

Do you know this King? Do you know where you stand with Him? 

We hope to see you Sunday morning at 11:00 in our Easter Celebration Service! Come worship the King with us, and, in the process of doing this, discover just how great His love toward you is!

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Kevin