Jesus Paid It All

For most Christians today, Good Friday and the cross is viewed as symbolic of some sort of victory, but it was devastating in the moment.  The significance of Christ's death was the shedding of innocent blood--the perfect and final sacrifice for our sins.  In contrast, the significance of the resurrection is best explained by Peter's words in I Peter 1:3-7:

Praise be the the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.  This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Yes, Jesus had to die...but Sunday is coming!

Where would we be without the cross of Friday and the empty tomb of Sunday?!

As you enter Good Friday, pray this prayer...

"Jesus, touch me with the Truth of today.  Quiet my heart that I may ponder what You did on the cross.  Amen" 

Also take time today to read the account of the crucifixion of Jesus found in Luke 23 or John 19.  As you read, it will become clear what it took to make the ransom for our sins.  And this is just the physical part of it.  We can't imagine what it meant for Jesus to have the Father's back turned on him.  When you come to a point like this, recognizing the extreme price that was paid for our salvation, obedience and gratitude become the only option. 

I want to encourage to do two things in response to Good Friday.  1). Commit to living a life of obedience, through the power of the Holy Spirit and 2).  Thank Him.  Thank Him for enduring the scourging.  Thank Him for taking your place on the cross.  Thank Him for paying the complete price for your sins--past, present and future.  Thank Him for dying that day, that you might live forever and remember...JESUS PAID IT ALL!

Join us tomorrow at 7:00pm in the Worship Center for our Good Friday service (in-person only).  The night will consist of singing, scripture reading, and prayer for our hearts to be receptive to the message of Easter; for our friends and neighbors who need to hear the gospel message; and that we would commit to make Jesus non-ignorable in Beaverton.  The evening will conclude with the Lord's Supper.

See you tomorrow night,

Pastor Doug