"Good" Friday???

So its Easter week this week.  Yay!  I love the part where Jesus comes out of the tomb and...wait!  What is today?  Good Friday.  What happened on this day that we celebrate so much?  Christ's death.  How is the trial, humiliation, torture, and crucifixion of an innocent man to be considered, "good?"  How can we look at the great sacrifice of God in His son, Jesus Christ, and call that horrible day good?

When I think about acts like that, thoughts about the terrorism and the degradation of humankind involved in this act, I feel empty and lost.  Then, when I think that Christ willingly chose to do that for me I shudder and weep because of that cost.  When in the garden of Gethsemane he asked God to choose something else for him. Yet at the end of his prayer, he affirms that God's way is the best way.  Knowingly choosing an extremely painful death. Yet we call this act "good" on the Friday before Easter.

He endured an extremely painful torture session where they robed him as a "king" in jest and then beat him and whipped him.  He was forced to carry his (extremely heavy) cross from that place up to the top of Golgatha, being mocked and whipped along the way.  And he did this willingly!  He could have stopped it at any time and choose instead to be rescued by angels, but instead, he sacrificed himself to this awful scenario and kept enduring it for a reason greater than himself.  And yet we still call this act "good" on the Friday before Easter.

On the top of Golgotha (a name which means the place of the skulls), they nailed Jesus to the cross and lifted him up to hang there.  The weight of his body would be pulling down on the nails in his hands and feet, suffocating him as time wore on.  Yet he stayed there.  Suffering.  In tremendous pain.  Dying.  He was a man who had done no wrong in his entire life. He had lived a perfect life.  He should have been honored, not crucified.  Yet here he was, dying with guilty men.  The real good man being punished with sinners.  And we still call this day good.

It was on the cross that Jesus was finally able to cry out at the end of his life the words, "It is finished!"  His life was at its end.  His suffering on the Earth was finished.  His work to pay the price for all the sins that everyone else committed was finished.  He died shortly after saying those words.  They took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb.  It was finished indeed.  And yet today, Christians all over the world celebrate the work that Jesus had done and call today, "Good Friday."  Why?

With Jesus's body lying in a tomb after having been tortured wrongly, he had paid the price for our sins.  For our mistakes.  I can hold on to freedom from all my sin because of his payment for me.  I am free because Jesus died for me!  You are free because Jesus died for you!  We can live lives free from shame because Jesus had paid the ultimate price for us.  And we did nothing to deserve it.  The acts themselves were terrible, but we are free because of them.  It is a very dark day, but for us, it is a good one.  That is why today is Good Friday.  Amen!

³ He was hated and rejected by people.
    He had much pain and suffering.
People would not even look at him.
    He was hated, and we didn’t even notice him.

⁴ But he took our suffering on him
    and felt our pain for us.
We saw his suffering
    and thought God was punishing him.
⁵ But he was wounded for the wrong we did;
    he was crushed for the evil we did.
The punishment, which made us well, was given to him,
    and we are healed because of his wounds.
⁶ We all have wandered away like sheep;
    each of us has gone his own way.
But the Lord has put on him the punishment
    for all the evil we have done.

⁷ He was beaten down and punished,
    but he didn’t say a word.
He was like a lamb being led to be killed.
    He was quiet, as a sheep is quiet while its wool is being cut;
    he never opened his mouth.
⁸ Men took him away roughly and unfairly.
    He died without children to continue his family.
He was put to death;
    he was punished for the sins of my people.
⁹ He was buried with wicked men,
    and he died with the rich.
He had done nothing wrong,
    and he had never lied.

¹⁰ But it was the Lord who decided
    to crush him and make him suffer.
    The Lord made his life a penalty offering,
but he will still see his descendants and live a long life.
    He will complete the things the Lord wants him to do.
¹¹ “After his soul suffers many things,
    he will see life and be satisfied.
My good servant will make many people right with God;
    he will carry away their sins.  (Isaiah 53:3-11 NCV)

Is Jesus really the only way to heaven?

Is Jesus really the only way to heaven?  How would I know?  What would convince me?  What about the other explanations out there?  There are a ton of explanations out there for how to get to heaven, and what that means to us.

This is something that humankind has thought about, argued for, and fought over since before we even were able to write.  From the polytheism of the Ancient Egyptians to the monotheism of the Israelites, to the whatever you want from the New Age movement, to the "There is no God" non-theism of secular thinking.  We are always asking the question of, "Where will we go in the future when we die?"  Whether we think we are going to float over a river in the afterlife and have to "pay the boatman" or just cease to exist, we all believe something.

Wait, we all believe something?  Yes, we do.  But what if I say that, "I don't believe that there is a god, or that I am not sure?  I don't believe in anything then, right?"  No.  The belief itself may not be a strong one, but whatever we would say is the answer is still a belief.  Even if it is, "I don't know." And belief is something that we have faith in–and faith, in the end, is our own choice.  We may have good reason to believe something, but at the end of the day, we still have to make a choice.  Even if the choice is to be unsure and "not choose" an answer.

So, what do I believe? I believe that Jesus was real and that what he taught was true.  Which then means that I believe in the scripture that presents Him, the Bible.  Which means then that I believe the whole Bible is true.  Which then means that I believe that God created the "everything" and that I follow Him.  Which also means that I believe Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and came back to life, so that He could send us His Holy Spirit and that we could be with him in heaven.

But, is Jesus the only way to heaven?

Jesus, himself, had said that he is the only way to heaven.  "Jesus answered, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.'" (John 14:6 NCV)*  Which I have heard many people state that if we believe Jesus is a trustworthy person, then we cannot just brush past what he said here.  I know that there are people out there who might say otherwise, but if I believe in Jesus, then I need to accept what He told us.  And others in the Bible agreed.  I found that the apostle Peter in Acts 4:12 says, "Jesus is the only One who can save people. No one else in the world is able to save us."  (NCV)*  The apostle John has written many books of the Bible, including the above quote (John 14:6).

So that is what I believe, but do I have any stories confirming my beliefs?  Yes, I do!  There have been many times in my life that I have felt God's hand upon me and my family.  There have been times where my family didn't have enough money to pay for food to eat or to keep the electricity on.  Yet, just at the right time, some Christian had brought us hope and just enough to get by with.  There have been multiple times where I truly believe that God saved me from death.  I also have seen Him working in my children as they have been learning about faith and Jesus.

So what does that really mean?  What am I saying when I believe in Jesus?  The truth is that believing in Jesus is more than just saying a prayer and thinking, "Okay, got that one taken care of!"  Believing in Jesus is actually developing a relationship with God.  Through prayer, reading scripture, celebrating with a group of fellow Christians, and doing works in response to the love I've experienced from God.  Does confessing my sin to Jesus and indicating a reliance on Him save me?  Instantaneously!  But also, I need to continue that relationship with Him.  Just like getting married means that I have a wife.  Just talking to her once per day or per week, (or longer...) and sharing my needs without listening to her just leads to a crappy self-centered relationship.  Who would want to live long-term with someone like that?  The same applies to our relationship with God.

This is not an "either-or" situation.  It is a "both-and" situation.  I need to pray for God's grace through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; AND declare my love for God through my actions in response to His love for me.

So, what do you believe and why?

Just remember that this coming Sunday is Easter... :-) 

*Scriptures found in a similar post, https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-only-way.html

"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

The Usual Suspects (1995) is a movie where the people who watched it, enjoyed it much more than the critics who rated it.  It's a whodunit that eventually reveals itself to be something different.  But the key line from this movie is "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

Now putting the movie itself aside, this quote totally reminds me of C.S. Lewis and a book he wrote titled The Screwtape Letters.  This book is a series of letters sent from an "Uncle devil" to his nephew and gives him tips on how to lure people away from God.  At one point he said something very similar to his nephew, "Our policy, for the moment, is to conceal ourselves."  And he talks about the difference between now and other times lamenting the difference.

So what about me?  Do I believe there is "the devil" out there?  Do I believe in a force that opposes God and works against him?  Do I believe in demons and spirits that can infest a person, possess, or oppress them?  In short, yes I do.

Do I think that the devil is a red fleshed character with a tail and horns that laughs at and screws with people from a fiery hole somewhere?  Not really.  But I have experienced his workings in people as I have prayed for them.  I have felt his oppression in my own life.  I have experienced troubles and pains during times when God is working well in the area around me.  I have been distracted and caught up in meaningless squabbles during times when my focus needed to be with God.  I have prayed for others to be released from possession and oppression in the name of Jesus Christ and watched as they were freed.  I, myself, have been prayed for to receive protection from God.

So what do I do about it?  I trust in the Lord that His power is more magnificent and powerful and eternal than those who oppose Him.  I trust the Bible when it says that despite the current "battle" and where it is headed, God has already won the war.  I know that if I need protection I have brothers and sisters in Christ that can and do pray for me.  But I do not ignore the presence of those things that can pull me away from God.

'Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so God can heal you. When a believing person prays, great things happen. '  (James 5:16 NCV)

 'I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength.'  (Philippians 4:13 NCV)

'“I told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have trouble, but be brave! I have defeated the world.”'  (John 16:33 NCV)

So, what about you?  What do you believe and why is that?  I have shared my experience but I would love to hear yours!  For or against, I believe we all have something to say.

"Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope." -- Princess Leia Organa

Do you recognize this?  Probably.  This is from a movie that I personally LOVE!  Star Wars, Ep 4.  Here Princess Leia is asking for help from Obi-Wan Kenobi for the situation of her planet and the revolution.  It is found with the help of Luke Skywalker who seems to be pretty handy with droids.

Ever feel that you are facing a situation that doesn't seem to have any answer that you can provide?  I know that I have.  Ever feel that there is nothing that you could do to change the situation, but you do not like where you are headed and desperately want out?  I have.  Have you wished that you owned a nice little droid named R2-D2?  I totally have.  😄  That little bot is so awesome and helps the team get out of so many different situations...

But I don't have a helpful R2-D2 rolling around my house.  I have to face problems with that kind of help.  I know that I used to be someone who would Google everything, look it up on YouTube, or find something in the library.  In fact, I still think of those answers first.  I have a personal thought system that makes me want to be "the man" and be the one with all of the answers.  I tremendously struggle asking others for help.  Which is fine if you are trying to build a new chair or paint a room.  But imagine making mistakes with another person.  You said something that was a lie, or misrepresented them, or talked about them behind their back.  I have done all three of those, and more too.  Now imagine facing that person who is asking you if that was true, and the only real answer you can give is, "Yes."  Further, imagine seeing the hurt you have caused them running through their face and all you can think is, "I hurt that person, there is nothing I can do to heal that, and I suck."  Been there.

What do you need here?  A friend that you can trust with deep, intimate ideas--like this conundrum.  I have found that I cannot face life's challenges and pains without someone else.  I can try on my own, and I sure have done that way too many times, but that usually ends up making the situation worse.  The truth though is that I have been most successful when I went to a friend and explained what went on and how I thought and felt about the whole situation.  It helps to have someone who loves you enough to hear your sins and still be there.  I am not specifically referring to a spouse, but they should be that kind of person too.  I am one who finds this kind of help difficult to find, but it is very much like Leia's cry out to Obi-Wan.

'Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so God can heal you. When a believing person prays, great things happen. '
James 5:16 (NCV)

Do you have an Obi-Wan in your life?  If not someone who can wield a light-saber, someone who can listen to you, love you and push back when they need to.  Someone who knows you and shares themselves with you in return.  Someone who will pray with you.  Someone who is a great friend.  If not, time to find an Obi-Wan.

"Open the pod bay doors, please, HAL."

Dave Bowman

HAL

Ever have one of those moments when it seems like everything and everyone are against you?  One of those times when it feels like there is someone out there making things happen and that they might be watching you...  Well in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey the character Dave Bowman was in that particular setting and didn't find that out until he was floating outside the spaceship, locked out by his defective AI computer.  He starts by requesting, "Open the pod bay doors, please, HAL." Which is then followed by HAL's response of, "I'm sorry Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that."

I know what it feels like to be in that place.  Well, not in the "locked out of a spaceship, floating in space, and need to knock out a defective AI" place exactly.  I have been in that place where you feel like your options are zero and you wonder what else could go wrong.  So what do you do at this point?

You could do any number of things:

1. Find a corner and hide there.
2. Create a racket and let everyone else know of your problems and things you can't do.
3. Belittle those around you and make yourself feel better.
4. Put on your steely gaze and pretend that there is no problem.
5. Jump out of your spaceship with no helmet on (example from 2001...)

Actually, I would personally recommend none of the above.  What we need to do at this point is to surrender ourselves and our problems to God.  We need to be within His embrace as we move forward.  I have found that often the answer is not so much what do we do, but who do we cling to?  There is such a warmth and peace present in God's presence.  There is a feeling that no matter what happens next, I am being watched over by the Father, in the grace of the Son, and will go forward through the power of the Holy Spirit.

This isn't a form of hiding or fighting.  It is a recognition that whatever will come next, will need to be faced in the arms of God.  Whether God moves me to hide, fight, flee, or dance and praise His name I need His power to do that.  I can (and have, far too frequently) tried to step out on my own.  The phrase, "I got this..." ran through my mind each time.  What goes through your mind when you are in this situation?  How often has it ended out worse than better?  For me, it ended in greater pain and trouble than I started with.  But is changed when I accepted that I need God in everything.  Everything.  What about you?

I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength.  Philippians 4:13 (NCV)

“I know that you can do all things and that no plan of yours can be ruined."  Job 42:2 (NCV)

He prayed, “Abba, Father! You can do all things. Take away this cup of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want.”  Mark 14:36 (NCV)

"God, I am here today and I need you.  Come to my side right now and let me know that you are here.  Be with me and share your voice and peace as I wonder and fear and hurt and want to lash out.  I don't know what to do, but you do.  Please help me to do what I should and not what feels comfortable to me.  I rely on you, utterly and ultimately.  Amen."