“In the days when Christ was in the flesh,
he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears
to the one who was able to save him from death,
and he was heard because of his reverence.
Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered;
and when he was made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” (Heb 5:7-9)
Jesus hung upon the cross after a brutal night of suffering and pain at the hands of His tormentors.
What brought Him to that point? It was a crowd who refused to believe in Him. Even more than refusing to believe, the crowd rejected Him outright and made the decision that they would rather be rid of Him completely. They had many choices, after all. If they wanted Him removed from their presence, they could have opted to push the authorities simply to arrest and imprison Him. But that was not enough.
They wanted the Lord crucified.
They got their wish.
Our Lord Jesus Christ died upon the cross as a common criminal. Many were moved by the death of Christ. In some of the Gospels, we read about the centurion standing guard at the foot of the cross, looking up at the body of Jesus after His death and saying, “Truly, this was the Son of God.”
We need to do all that we can not to wait until the last minute to declare our belief in the Lord. We should be out, front and center, each day of our lives professing our faith, our belief, our love of the Lord.
FAITH ACTION: On Good Friday, we commemorate the Passion and Death of the Lord. Jesus loved us so much that He was willing to die for us, that we may be freed from sin and death. He asked us to die to ourselves as well. Enter this day humbly, recalling the sins that have pierced the Lord.
In atonement, remember that
today is a day of fast and abstinence.