You know how
when you were a kid in school, you always looked forward to your most favorite
day of the week, Friday? Friday meant
the weekend, Friday meant fun, AND most importantly, Friday meant no school for
two days! WhoHOO! I know I was one of those kids!
But
sometimes, Friday isn't fun. Sometimes
Friday means the close of something special.
Sometimes Fridays are completely disheartening. You know, Jesus and His followers had one of
those Fridays. Luke 23 traces the
horrific events that Jesus experienced on a particular Friday. Nailed to a cross, Jesus bled and then died
to cover the sins of all mankind. We
know it was a Friday because Luke 23:54 tells us that the crucifixion &
burial, "was done late on Friday
afternoon, the day of preparation, as the Sabbath (which was Saturday) was about to begin." Jesus' followers were probably inconsolable that
Friday. Luke 23:48 said that the crowd
who came to watch the crucifixion, "went
home in deep sorrow." Here was
their leader, their teacher, their Master and he was gone.
This is
totally metaphoric...but I equate the second half of this summer to a
disheartening Friday. When we think of
summer, we think of fun, relaxation, and happy times, but if you know what's
gone on this summer in Morristown, you know that it was the complete opposite. The sadness and hurt that so many of us have
felt this summer has been probably some of the toughest and most emotional
feelings we've ever had to deal with in our lives. For some, no words can ever describe the
summer of 2012.
BUT can I
let you in on a secret??? This summer
may have been Friday, but guess what??
Sunday is coming!
Just look in
the Scriptures! Jesus had died on
Friday, people were sad, the disciples were holed up in a room just wondering
what they were going to do next, but on Sunday something spectacular
happened. Luke 24:1-6:
"But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn't find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes...the men asked, "Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn't here! He is risen from the dead!"
Christ had returned from the dead! He is ALIVE!
Again,
totally metaphoric, but...Sunday is coming - Jesus is coming again! Revelation 22:7, Jesus says to John the
Revelator, "Look, I am coming soon!" Hallelujah!
As believers in Jesus Christ, we can hold to this incredible promise
that Christ is indeed coming soon and as followers of Him, we will be carried
up to live forever in heaven with Him! Revelation
21:4:
"God's home [will be] among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever."
Praise the Lord!! When Jesus returns, Friday will NEVER exist
again! Worship will be our action,
adoration our feeling, and praise will continually pour from our lips. I.
CAN'T. WAIT!
But until
then, my dear blog readers and Morristown friends, we must live for Christ! Right now, we must heed Christ's command to
tell others about Him (Acts 1:8), serve others (John 12:26), and follow after
Him (Matthew 16:24). It's not going to
be easy. We will face more hardships and
disheartening Fridays along the way, but there's a reward at the end - life forever with JESUS! Paul said it best, "I press on toward the goal to win prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).
Because He lives...I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives...All fear is gone.
Because I know HE holds the future
And life is worth the living,
just
because
HE
LIVES
I leave you
with this song, that sorta-kinda inspired my above thoughts. It's called "Sunday" and it's by the Christian group Tree63. "It's
Friday, but Sunday is coming!"
Amen.
