Where's the good?

Many ask...what's good about Good Friday?  How would you answer that?

I sat in worship tonight at our church.  A very large wooden cross leaned on it's side in front of the marble altar.  On the altar, 7 candles flickered to the side of the cross.  It was quiet in the sanctuary...solemn.  We listend to the words of prophecy, we sang the songs that reminded us of what our blessed Savior went through 2000 years ago.  As the lights slowly went out in the sanctuary, and as the candles were extinguished with each portion of the story of Jesus' passion as told by John, I felt my sins pressing down on me, crushing me with their weight, holding me captive by their chains.  And I thought about the pain of flogging, and thorns, and harsh words, and nails...I thought of the anguish and torment...I thought of how Jesus took all that on...for me, for you, for all those before us and all those after us.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
      Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
            Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
                   Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble...
             Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?


All those thousands of years ago...did Jesus hear my voice, mingled in with the others shouting "Crucify, crucify him!"  Did Jesus feel the weight of my hand on the hammer as the nails pierced his hands...his feet?

And yet, what was that He said?     "Father, forgive them...."  Bleeding, suffering, dying...Jesus, the healer, the king, the Savior of the world...looked out at the sin-filled world from the cross...and with compassion for those who caused his pain, asked his Father to forgive.

And tonight, as the deep sound mimicking the sound of the stone closing the tomb echoed through the silent, darkened sanctuary, and as tears flowed down my cheeks...I knew the good deep in my being.  The good of God's plan, the good of God's love, the good of God's compassion and mercy and grace...all right there on the cross and in the tomb.  Jesus.  The Light of the world come to lead us to the Father.  The Good Shepherd.  The healer.  The Lamb...laying down His life in the ultimate sacrifice that those who believe might be given eternal life.

Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom....