Pondering

As much as I enjoy Christmas time, it's this time of year that defines who I am. My church had a Good Friday service and I've been thinking on the things we discussed. In my opinion, the American church does not think enough on what Jesus had to give to satisfy what God demanded for reconciliation between Himself and us.

It is so easy for us to dwell on Resurrection Sunday. And, why wouldn't we? It's a joyful time, it's where our hope lies. Yet, the suffering of the crucifixion and death of Jesus is key to our salvation. The resurrection holds an empty hope if the payment for sin has not been dealt with. The week leading up to Resurrection Sunday is filled with loneliness, deceit, mourning, physical and emotion anguish, despair, betrayal. Doesn't sound like a fun week. Most of us would shy away from those things. But everything Jesus went through had to take place. The salvation plan was required by Jehovah God. His holiness could be satisfied only by a blood sacrifice.

Today is a solemn day for me, as a Christian. Today marks when Jesus laid in a tomb. The earth was silent, the heavens were silent. Imagine with me the deafening silence while Jesus appeared to have lost the battle. My crazy mind wonders how the animals and nature responded to this event. Did they sense something was not right?

As my pastor said, we must understand the significance of the crucifixion and death of Jesus to understand the significance of His resurrection. We have to understand what Christ saved us from before we can walk in the power He saved us to. Jesus conquering death and the grave would have no meaning if He had not first walk through the cross.