Taking Time To Reflect On The Cross Of Christ

Today is Good Friday where we believers in Jesus Christ take time to reflect on what happened many years ago on a hill far away from us and yet it is very near to each one of us.  We are reminded in Scripture of the night before His Crucifixion when Jesus and His disciples gathered to eat.  During that moment Jesus took bread, blessed it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."  Then Jesus took the cup and He gave thanks for it then He gave it to His disciples, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.  This is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:26-28)

The disciples didn't always understand what the Lord Jesus was doing and there are many times in our lives that we have a hard time understanding what the Lord is doing in our lives as well.  We read in the Scriptures that Jesus went to the garden and prayed.  The disciples were supposed to keep watch and pray, but they fell asleep. 

We remember the betrayal of Judas as he brought the soldiers out to arrest Jesus.  We remember the crowd shouting Crucify!, Crucify!  We remember the mocking and the lies people told about Him.  We remember from Scripture of the brutality of that night as our Lord was beaten and mocked some more by those standing by.

We remember the Roman soldiers nailing the innocent Jesus to a cruel old rugged Cross.  We remember the nails that pierced His hands.  We remember more people hurling insults at Him as He hung there on that tree. 

The world looked on with pleasure at what it had done.  The devil had thought he had won, but he didn't win at all. 

We remember the precious shed blood of the perfect Son of God, a lamb without spot, and we remember that it was for us that He died.  No one took Jesus life from Him.  The Lord Jesus laid down His life for you and I.  God demonstrated His great love for us by sending Jesus Christ to die on the Cross for our sins past, present, and future.

We have all sinned and have fallen short of the Glory of God.  We are all deserving of being eternally separated from God and placed in a literal Hell forever.  The Lord doesn't want anyone to go to Hell, but He desires that all people come to repentance of their sins and come to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

I can't save myself.  I can't get into Heaven based on my good behavior.  I am not good at all.  There is nothing good that dwells within Michael Rairdon, that is in my flesh.  Thankfully I don't have to earn my way into Heaven. 

I am thankful that God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to save a wretched sinful man such as I.  I am saved by grace and I come to the Lord Jesus by faith.   I was reminded today that we believers in Jesus Christ get to celebrate Good Friday and Easter everyday not just one time of the year.  I am thankful that we can be thankful for the Cross of Christ and all that Jesus accomplished on it for us.

My heart can rejoice in the fact that it didn't end on the Cross.  Yes, Christ death on the Cross was brutal and heart wrenching to think about,  but then came the morning of the third day when the stone was found rolled away from the tomb in which the body of Jesus lay and it was revealed to all of us that Jesus rose from the dead.

Jesus is Alive!  Hallelujah!

Let us always remember the Cross.  May we never forget the shed blood of Christ for the sins of the world.  Let us never forget His Amazing Grace and His outstanding mercy. 

May we be grateful and rejoice because Christ arose.

Lord,  Heavenly Father,

Thank You for this time as we reflect on all that You accomplished for us by sending Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the Cross for our sins.

Thank You for raising Jesus from the dead on the third day.

Thank You for salvation and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

Lead us and guide us closer to You dear Lord.

In Jesus Name we pray,

Amen.