It's a Good Friday

Today is so different than any other Friday. It is Good Friday. The day Jesus died for me, for you.

The past few months, our family has had the honor of being a part of the Passion Play of Durango. We began performances Wednesday, and run through Saturday. While Jerome is on stage as a member of the Sanheidren, the priestly group that fought for Jesus's death, I am backstage helping with props, scene changes, and costumes. And every night, from the moment the beatings begin to when he is laid in the tomb, I cry backstage. I can't help it. This year, I have really begun to understand that Jesus loved ME enough to endure this. I knew He loved the world, my family, my friends, but it was so hard to believe that He loved me that much. He does. He loved me. And when that realization sweeps over me, tears are the only reaction possible.

For you see, Easter is not about baskets, or bunnies, or eggs. It is about sacrifice and redemption. Without Good Friday, there would be no reason to celebrate Easter, or Christmas. At any point, Jesus could have said, "Enough. It's not worth it." But He didn't. He chose to endure humiliation, torture, ridicule, pain, and death FOR YOU! For me...

Take a moment today. Ponder the cross. Accept the fact that YOU ARE WORTH IT! Jesus knew, before the creation of the world, that He would sacrifice everything for you. And it wasn't because He had to, it was because He wanted to.

If you are in town, come by The River Church tonight or tomorrow, and watch the show. If you're not, you can watch it live at www.iriverchurch.com/streaming. Yes, it is gruesome. Yes, it is painful to watch. But watching it does not hurt nearly as bad as enduring it did.