Good Friday

I literally do not have the time to write a post this morning. But I read something during my quiet time today that is too good to keep to myself. So, forgive me if I misspell a word or use incorrect grammar. I've just got to share this!

Today Christians worldwide celebrate or observe Good Friday, the day that Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross and took upon Himself the just wrath of God. By taking the wrath and punishment that WE deserve, He provided the only way that any of us could ever come before the Most Holy and Most High God, and not just come before Him, but dwell with Him in peace for eternity.

Before Jesus was betrayed by Judas, and taken to the cross to die, He observed the Passover meal with all of the disciples.

That is what I read this morning that is so cool! My reading was Psalm 113. I always read the footnotes in my Bible before I delve into each Psalm, because they hold a wealth of knowledge that I am woefully ignorant of. Here is the footnote that I read this morning.

"Psalm 113-118 were sung during the Passover, so it is likely that Jesus and His disciples sang them during their last evening together."

How amazing to have come to the songs that Jesus likely would have sung the night before He was to endure the cross. Consider these verses from Psalm 113, verses 5-9.

"Who is like the LORD our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?

He raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
That He may seat him with princes--
With the princes of His people.
He grants the barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children."

Two things I want to point out. First, we know that Jesus was not just a man, but was also God Himself, one part of the Trinity. Did you see that God, who dwells on high, is even practicing condescension to behold the heavens and the earth? That is how high and how holy God is. Even to consider the heavens and the earth are an act of humbling for God. Now contrast that with how amazing it is that Jesus, God Himself, would come and be born on earth, would walk around and experience all that we experience, hunger, cold, weariness, poverty, etc...

Whew! How can we ever accuse God of not loving us?

Second, it is almost more than I can wrap my mind around to imagine what Jesus must have been thinking as He sung the words describing the poor, the needy and the barren. Do you realize that He was singing about us? We WERE the poor, the needy and the barren. And by the work accomplished on the cross we were raised and lifted above our natural condition. We were able to become joyful mothers, who had been barren women.

And of course, it is so like our loving and gracious God, that it gets even better. He doesn't just lift us out of the dust and ash heap. No, He goes that extra step further. He seats us with princes. We go from sitting in the dirt to being seated with royalty, to eating at the table of the princes of His people. (I don't have time to look up the verse right now, but maybe I will add it to this post later. There is a verse that describes us as not just being with Christ in eternity, but of reigning with Him as brothers, or more specifically, as joint heirs. So in essence, we become the princes of His people!)

**Here is the verse:

Romans 8:16-17

"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."

So today, as you consider the suffering that Christ endured on the cross, in order to receive us as His people, also think about the humanity of Jesus, who sang the words of Psalm 113, knowing full well the trial that was immediately before Him. But because of His overwhelming love for us, He faced it willingly, so that we could be lifted and raised.

Hebrews 12:2

"looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."


One more thing. Today is the one year anniversary of an amazing lesson that God taught me about prayer. If you are new to this blog, I encourage you to read it. It's a bit long, but I hope you will think it is worth it. Just click here.