Good Friday

I've been reflecting on the cross throughout the week as today, Good Friday, as well as Resurrection Sunday/Easter approached. I must say, it was a bit shocking to see the amount of trivial, self-centered, and (frankly) stupid posts people kept putting up all day long on Twitter and Facebook.

Seriously? Your birthday? You're going to make a big deal out of your birthday? The test you took today? That was the most tantalizing thing that you experienced today? Even on the most holy of days we simply do not care. We are spiritually numbed to the significance, the beauty and the wonder of the cross.

We are equally numb to its horrifying nature, to its repulsiveness, to its complete odiousness. The term Good Friday was not applicable on the day that the holiday is founded upon. It was Horrific Friday. It was Failure Friday. It was Terrible Friday. And it was far worse than any of these terms can grasp at meaning.

The Son of God who was sinless, holy, and beautiful was murdered ruthlessly by the very humans he created. The Author of Life was given a death sentence. There is nothing more repulsive and offensive in the universe. Nothing. And there never will be. The shame of the cross was a one time event unlike any other. This is one reason why we see the saints in eternity future singing about the cross and the lamb that was slain (Rev 5.12).

This side of the resurrection, however, this horrible event becomes "good." But just as we can only grasp for words to describe the horrors of the cross, so too we cannot begin to fathom the beauty, splendor, goodness, greatness, or glory of the cross.

All that to say, if God could make the sun literally stay still—pause the day and course of time—for Joshua (a precursor to Jesus in name and action) so that the battle could be fought and won, can we not take moments today to pause and reflect on the battle that Jesus won on the cross?

He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
Colossians 2:15

Pause, reflect on the cross today and stand in awe.