Posts Tagged: Good Friday

“Good Friday and Refraining from Criticism”

On April 2, 2021 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

My wife pointed out something tremendously helpful about me the other day: I often criticize her driving. As a result, she doesn’t like to drive when I’m with her.

Ouch!

I didn’t think that I was that critical, but maybe I should just stop after the word “think”. I didn’t think . . .  and that is why I was so critical. If I had thought, I would have refrained from criticism.

So, yesterday my 12-step affirmation was “Today by God’s grace, I am choosing to refrain from criticizing anyone, including myself.” You may find it hard to believe, but two wonderful things happened.

First, I actually lived out this affirmation. And that is both wonderful and unusual. My affirmations often tend to be more aspirational than actional. But I acted on this one. Of course, both you and I need to remember the by God’s grace part of the affirmation.

Second, the results were wonderful. I was more focused and happier than I could have ever imagined. I think I’ll refrain from criticizing again today!

One of the basic confessions/affirmations of those of us who aspire to be Christ-followers is this: Jesus died on the cross for our sins and the sins of the whole world. Sins were not merely criticized at the cross. They were decisively dealt with there. My sins, your sins, everybody’s sins.

This same Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of the world said, “Don’t judge lest you be judged.”

What right do I have to judge anyone, in light of the cross? The question answers itself.

Have a Good Friday, dear ones! No criticism today; just gratitude.

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“Of Birth and Death”

On April 11, 2020 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

Yesterday was my birthday, and I had a wonderful celebration, thanks to my wife and many of my friends.  It was also the day when Christians “celebrate” Christ’s death on the cross.  There is a reason why I put “celebrate” in double quotation marks.  Is death ever a reason to celebrate?

Certainly, Roman crosses were not originally designed for celebration—or for being turned into jewelry.  Roman crosses were designed to inflict maximum pain over an agonizingly long period of time.  Death was by suffocation, once you were too weak to push yourself up to breathe.  It was a kind of pre-meditated, very targeted covid-19 that was intentionally transmitted to someone.

Imagine yourself saying to any of Jesus’ original disciples on the Friday that Jesus was crucified, “Hey, guys!  I’ve got a wonderful idea!  Why don’t we call this ‘Good Friday’!”  At best, they would have looked at you with total bewilderment.  At worst, you might have gotten a broken jaw.  In any case, I doubt that there would have been a single vote in favor of your proposal.

And yet, those of us who follow Christ, do call it Good Friday.  Why?  Let me suggest two reasons.

First, Jesus’ death by crucifixion was not the closing chapter of his story.  Generally speaking, the last chapter of a book—or the final main section of a Wikipedia article—speaks of the death of historical characters.  The four Gospels of the Old Testament all indicate that Jesus’ family and friends were certain that Jesus was gone.

However, in the case of Jesus, the story goes that he did not stay dead.  (Yes, I know!  That’s pretty difficult to swallow.  There are, however, many of us who actually believe it.)  In light of the fact that Jesus didn’t stay put in the tomb, in retrospect, his crucifixion day came to be known as “Good Friday.”

But there is a second reason why Good Friday was good.  The Gospels, the book of Acts, almost all of the letters, and the book of Revelation all indicate that Jesus’ death wasn’t primarily a tragedy or a miscarriage of justice.  Rather, Jesus’ death was redemptive.  He died in our place, for our wrong-doings.

If that is true, that is incredibly good.  It was way beyond incredibly good; it was the best!

And since I believe that Jesus died for my sins—and for all our sins—and since I believe that he was raised from the dead, I don’t mind having my birthday coincide with Good Friday every once in a while.  In point of fact, my birthday was so much nicer knowing that my sins are forgiven, and that isn’t the final word.

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