Good Friday Reflections

As I type it is Good Friday, 2011. A number of thoughts have been going through my head as i think of this, a day important to all mankind, though many do not observe or even have any regard for the true meaning of the day as we think about the death of Christ on the cross.

Actually this year I found it very interesting and indeed somewhat disturbing in that Earth Day, which falls on April 22nd each year, and Good Friday are on the same date. I find it disturbing in that the world focuses on how mankind treats earth and the atmosphere around it and yet has little regard for the Creator who became Man and died on the cross for all of mankind sins. Man focuses on himself and his environment while Christ did not have any regard for His own being and became like us so that He could redeem us (Philippians 2:5-8).

Working in an elementary school it has been interesting to note that as the Easter season approached this year, much was made of Easter but not the true meaning of it. There were stories about the Easter bunny, chocolates, etc. but little reference to Christ dying on the cross. I did find it interesting though when I asked some kids about Easter and some could actually tell me that Jesus died on the cross, but to them that was merely a historical fact not a reality in their lives.

At a Good Friday service this morning at my church I was reminded again that many people are oblivious to the true meaning of Good Friday as the sermon spoken of how many people really missed the significance of Christ's death on the cross that first Good Friday. Those who should have known better, i.e. the religious leaders wanted to do away with Christ. Christ's disciples forsook him and were taken by surprise so to speak at the resurrection and the majority of the crowds missed the meaning of what Christ had been saying for three years. It was interesting that the speaker said the ones who did not miss the meaning were the soldiers, though they mocked Christ initially. It was the soldier at the cross who proclaimed that truly this was the Son of God.

When I realize that many times I have failed Christ I am grateful that He has forgiven me of my sins. This does not mean that I keep on doing what I am doing but need to follow Him and truly be thankful for all that He did for me that first Good Friday.

So Good Friday is not chocolates, family gatherings or other things but the remembering of Christ dying on the cross for our sins. May you truly realize what Christ did for you.