Good Friday

 

April 18, 2025

Isaiah 53:4-5

Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Good Friday is a day to pause and feel the full weight of Jesus’ death. Isaiah 53:4-5 describes Him as the suffering servant who carried our griefs and sorrows, taking on the punishment we deserved. This wasn’t just physical pain—it was the crushing weight of sin, rejection, and separation from God.

Think about this: every moment of pain or grief, every sin and failure—Jesus bore it all. He didn’t shy away from the suffering; He embraced it fully, out of love for you. The cross wasn’t just a symbol of love; it was also a place of unimaginable suffering and death.

Wait, before we rush to the hope of resurrection, I believe that we must sit in the reality of the cost of such love. Jesus died to bring healing and peace, but that peace came through His wounds, and that healing came through His death. The weight of our salvation rested on His shoulders, and He carried it willingly.

Take some time today, even if you are attending a Good Friday service later, to sit with the gravity of what Jesus endured on the cross. Reflect on the immense love that held Him there and the pain He bore for you.

If you’re carrying your own grief, pain, or sorrow, bring it to Him in prayer. Picture in your minds eye, placing those burdens at the foot of the cross. Thank Him for bearing them, and rest in the peace He offers through His sacrifice.