Lenten Reflection for March 29th, Good Friday

On this day we bring to the forefront of our mind and reflect on the ultimate sacrifice that was made for us, as we wait in darkness with anticipation of the Good News to come.

Out of all of the Psalms, Psalm 22 most serves as a link between Jesus and his ancestor David. In the Gospel we read the anguished cry from Jesus on the cross, echoing David's own cries to the Lord, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (v.1).

Both men were being put through horrible pain physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. When they call upon God for help, it feels like He isn't listening, doesn't care, and has abandoned them. David writes, “Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest.” (v.1-2)

Everyone has turned against them, mocking and taunting both men, saying “Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver— let him rescue the one in whom he delights!” (v.8), much like the soldiers, the chief priests and the criminal crucified beside Jesus mocked Him, saying "He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, ‘I am God’s Son."

I can imagine the sense of hopelessness there must have been. The world must have seemed just as dismal to those who followed Jesus, those people who had no idea what was going on or what to expect. The man they had thought was their prophesied Messiah was dead, they were being threatened and ridiculed, where could they possibly go from here? Doubtless they felt very abandoned by God in that moment as well.

Do you ever feel abandoned by God? Do you ever feel that you have times of despair when you are crying out and wondering if the Lord even hears you? Have you experienced people around you trying to challenge your faith, saying "if there were a God, why are bad things happening to you?"

Thanks be to God there is always hope for the hopeless. We can read that despite David's cries, he also knows where true strength, hope and deliverance comes from. Toward the end of the Psalm he ends in praise and with hope in the Lord, “For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him. From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever!” (v.23-26)

We can have the blessed assurance that God will provide for us, even to the point of giving us His own son, a Messiah who dies for our sins, so we don't have to face that death and separation, true hopelessness, from God ourselves.

Brothers and Sisters... now we wait.

For our younger brothers and sisters in Christ:

As we reflected on Palm Sunday, this Holy Week is one filled with highs and lows of emotions. Today, Good Friday, is a very solemn day for us as followers of Christ.

Today we remember how Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice for us all by his death on the cross. We are saddened because it is our sins as human beings that hurt Jesus on the cross and is why he had to die for us.

In the Bible we read,  “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son. God gave his Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17 ICB)

This shows us that the ‘Good’ part of Good Friday is that we can know that by Christ’s love for us and through his death and resurrection, we now have the promise of eternal life in Heaven with God and Jesus.

Today we should try to remember to think on and reflect about God’s great love for us and give thanks for Jesus’ love for us on the cross as we wait for the joy of Easter in three days.

God bless you!