“This is my body which is for you.”
Some words echo across history. They impress us. They are powerful. They are profound:
- “Four score and seven years ago…”
- “I have a dream…”
- “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap…”
Today, ponder just two words. You won't find them in a collection of great quotes, but they are more weighty than any you will read. They come from Jesus. They are meant for you! You will find them in the passage below:
“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is FOR YOU. Do this in remembrance of me.” ”
Today is Good Friday. Have you stopped to consider all that Jesus did for you?
- He endured the neglect of jealous religious leaders for you. These hard-hearted men were more concerned about building their ecclesiastical empire than God’s kingdom. Christ didn’t have to tolerate them, but he did.
- He put up with Pilate for you. Pilate was more concerned about his public approval ratings than he was about truth, so he gave the order for crucifixion.
- He suffered at the hands of the soldiers for you. Their strong hands rocked the Lord’s body as they landed their punishing blows. Their flagellum dug its claws into his flesh.
- He endured the ignominy of the crowd for you. The crowd should have been begging Jesus for mercy, instead they took wicked delight in his demise.
I suspect you have have seen pictures of Jesus on the cross—a little trickle of blood coming down from his cheeks. That is a gross misrepresentation of the facts. Jesus was a bloody mess. He suffered physically and psychologically (Psalm 22). But even more, Jesus suffered spiritually. He endured the wrath of God for you. Tim Challies writes:
Time and again the Bible speaks of a cup of God’s wrath which will be poured out against sinners. It is a cup of horror, desolation, shame and destruction. It is a cup filled to the brim with the perfect wrath of a perfectly just God.
What is so good about GOOD Friday?
The answer is both simple and profound. What was bad for him was good for you. He went to the cross for you. He took the punishment for you. He suffered God’s wrath for you. He tasted death for you. Why? So you could taste life with him.
“The “good” in Good Friday is the good that Jesus accomplished for you!”
Today is not just any other day. Praise the One who put the "good" in Good Friday for you!
JOIN US TONIGHT for our Good Friday service at Spanish River Church. We begin at 7:00 p.m. Child care (birth - 5 years old) is available. This is a SRC highlight.
"Time and again the Bible speaks of a cup ..." from Tim Challies, "Take This Cup Away From Me," March 17, 2004. www.challies.com. Accessed April 14, 2017.