Today is Good Friday – the day we, Christians, observe Christ’s final step of obedience to the Father in dying on the cross. To me, Jesus’ story is amazing because He didn’t have to do it. He didn’t have to fulfill the perfect will of God for His life, preach the gospel and heal the sick for 3 years only to end up having His hands and feet nailed to a cross, be ridiculed and mocked, spat upon and have a crown of thorns placed on His head just so He can fully accomplish God’s will which was total redemption for you and me.
Jesus, because He walked the earth as God in the flesh as well as a man with free will, didn’t have to carry out God’s plan fully. Even to the point of the night of The Last Supper, when Judas betrayed Him with a kiss and Jesus was about to be seized and Peter smote one of the soldiers ears with his sword. Jesus then quickly rebuked Peter, healed the man’s ear and reminded Peter that what’s about to go down has to go down so the Scripture might be fulfilled.
Jesus, a Man who had done no wrong but was falsely accused and sentenced to death, ends up on a cross next to a criminal who gets released instead of Him. Even Jesus himself realized that at any given moment He could have summoned 12 legions of angels at any given moment (which equals well over 60,000 angels) to come and rescue Him. But instead, Jesus said nothing, no whining, no complaining, and no “doing things His way so He doesn’t have to go through the pain,” and allowed the will of the Father to be done.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. Isaiah 53:7
Jesus said nothing while being spat upon, ridiculed, crucified and beaten so badly that by the time it was over He didn’t even resemble a man anymore. He did it to fulfill His purpose in life and carry out God’s plan.
How many of us can honestly say we would do whatever it takes to carry out God’s ultimate plan for our lives? How many of us would honestly say we love God enough, in spite of our own wants and desires, to live our lives while carrying out His expectations and in doing so we will receive our ultimate reward on earth and in heaven from Him?
How many of us would choose, this day, to live our lives as singles and glorify God with our bodies and from this day forward not have sex until marriage? Sure, it’ll be hard on the flesh, but how many of us would be willing to carry that cross and follow Jesus?
How many married people would be willing to deny themselves their own rights and actually look to please and serve their spouse first, instead of always looking for what they can get out of something or what the other person can do for them all the time?
How many of us, who are believing God for something, anything, can honestly say, instead of whining and complaining asking, “Why, God, why” or “When, God, when” can say that instead of complaining or doing things our own way, that we will instead endure with joy knowing that the promises of God are yeah and amen?
How many of us singles, who want to be married, can accept the fact that we’re single now yet still run the race that God has for us with joy while enjoying who we are in Christ and the season we are in right now? How many can honestly say they will do that?
Jesus was put on that cross, and stayed there until He said, “It is finished” and gave up the ghost and died. How many of us can truly say we can endure our own race ’til the end?
Matthew 26:51-56
Luke 22:50-51
Isaiah 52:14
John 19:30