Today is the most important celebration next to Easter Sunday! Today commemorates Christ's crucifixion and the ultimate act of salvation. Many believers refuse to celebrate Good Friday because it is a Catholic tradition. I protest! The Crucifixion of Christ is the most important act next to his Resurrection! Without Jesus' death, there is no resurrection! The Death and the Resurrection are the twins of God's Salvation. Sin's power died when our Savior died on the cross and then when he rose from the dead, death's power was broken! Both forms of the death were destroyed by Jesus Christ! God who so loved us defeated the death that is sin that makes us waste away on this world and dooms us to damnation in the next. He then also defeated death by his Resurrection in the physical and being the first to get a new body that we shall one day have!
Today is solemn day of remembrance. One that Jesus actual said we should observe as often as we (Christians) gather together. (1 Corinthians 11:20-34). "Good Friday is when God, who is the only one who is good, hung upon the rood (cross), removed are sinful hood, imparted his Amazing Grace, and saved the Human race!" (Jeffrey L. Gassler). Today is celebration of God's greatest act of love! It is not just for Catholics. It is for every follower of Jesus Christ! It is a day when we should give thanks and bare that same love that now dwells in us on the outside! Yes, Christ is Risen, but his Death was the payment and perpetuation for our sins! Jesus who was fully God and fully man (incarnate) took every transgression, trespass, iniquity, and wrong doing of ours upon himself and died to bring an end to sin's power over us, if we believe!
Today is a chance for you to be cleansed of yours sins and to be welcomed into the family of the Almighty through his Son Jesus Christ! It says, "if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth," that you believe Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, that he died for your sins, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of his Father, you shall be saved! Do not worry about feelings. If you feel nothing, believe! If your mind doubts, ignore the doubt and believe! Embrace God's love. There is no one who knowing every dark deed in you and your wickedness in full would give their life for yours. But God, who is innocent, perfect, without blemish, died for you! He gave everything to ensure you could be with Him forever! All Jesus asks in exchange is that you believe in Him! You do not have to be scourged by whips full od nails and glass. You do not have to carry a 100 pound plus cross. You do not have to have nails through your wrists (hands) or feet. All you need to do is believe and keep believing! Christ suffered it all and all he asks is you to believe in Him and stand for him. Tell me, which is harder? To be crucified and beaten beyond recognition or to believe and face public scrutiny and perhaps ridicule? Will you honestly say being ridiculed or belittled for your belief is worse than what Jesus suffered on your behalf?! Christ was ridiculed, belittled, berated, insulted, and condescended to all the way to Calvary and even when he hung on the Cross!
For some of you, choosing to believe in Christ will cost nearly as much as it did the Crucified. You may live in a land were if your faith is discovered you will be tortured, mutilated, and even killed. To you I say stand firm to the end! The Disciples faced the same horrors and died via crucifixion, decapitation, and other methods of execution. Millions, maybe even Billions of Christians have suffered and perished for their faith. But they are not dead! They live in the presence of Christ Jesus! They may suffer and die on this Earth, but they live in paradise with God! They will not see the Second Death, that is reserve for Satan and all who follow him. So take heart my brothers and sisters. I know that in the moments of agony my words seem like trifles, but do not doubt or deny your faith in Jesus. He is the only One worth such suffering. The hate directed at you is from the devil. Satan wants to rob you of salvation, because he knows that those marked by the Lord, those who confess Christ as their Savior and Lord shall not perish in hell; but live forever and even receive a new body on Judgment Day!
Stand firm brothers and sisters. Celebrate today in your own way. Attend a mass if you like or stay at home with your family reciting the verses of Christ's death. Watch movies like The Passion of the Christ or Ben Hur. Practice whatever tradition helps you remember what Jesus did for you best. Today is a celebration! On Sunday we will sing, "He is Risen!," but today we sing "It is Finished!" Our salvation has been accomplished! Hallelujah! Amen!
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