When you think of Good Friday, what comes to mind? Of the major holidays associated with the Christian faith, I find this day can sometimes be overlooked by some and overshadowed by the more mainstream holidays of Easter and Christmas. For me it is a somber time and makes me try to fathom the mindset of Jesus, the man, as He faced His calling.
If you ask most people their favorite holiday, you will probably get a response of one of the two I’ve mentioned above. These are definitely dates that mark very significant moments in the Christian story and should be celebrated and remembered as such, but overlooking what happened on this seemingly small day in the life of Jesus is to overlook His whole purpose for being born into this world.
For me, one of the most powerful moments leading up to this day happens in the garden of Gethsemane. As you read in scripture about this moment for Jesus, we get a very intimate glimpse into His human side, that is sometimes overlooked or not truly thought about. In the verse below, we see Jesus begin to feel the dread of what He is about to face. Even though He gave His life freely for us and without reservation, He understandably would rather there be another way.
Matthew 26:39 (ESV) – And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
I feel like His biggest reservation was not fear or hesitation to sacrifice Himself, but rather He knew that to go through this would mean He would be cut off from the Father for a time. This would have been a very part of who He was and was just too much for Jesus to think about, which lead Him to fall on His face in prayer. In this moment, Jesus displayed what so many of us have felt many times as we felt fear or dread about something in life. We too may cry out to God for another way or for Him to deliver us from this situation, but we must take courage and model what Jesus showed us. Only for a brief moment did He question for another way, but quickly recanted His way and submitted to the perfect will of the Father.
On Good Friday I always just picture this moment in the garden of Gethsemane and see Jesus alone in the dark of night as the disciples slept and Him falling to His knees in prayer as He cried out to God for strength and that His will be done. Did He see in His thoughts each and every one of us that He was about to rescue? Did He sense the evil lurking all around in the darkness as God’s plan unfolded? Did He feel a sense of urgency as He stared death and the forces of hell in the face? I can say for certain, that His love for us shows more than ever on this day as He faced the punishment that was meant for each of us.
Jesus came to give His life as a sacrifice for each and every one of us. The importance of this day is so powerful and vital to our Christian faith. Without this day, there would have been no resurrection, no redemption, and no hope. Jesus gave it all for you, so I invite you to just take a moment on Good Friday to remember this day as the day that your debt was paid in full and the love of Christ was poured out for all. Thanks for reading and keep faith.
