Tip: I strongly recommend listening to Gratitude by Brandon Lake below as you read this article or after finishing it! It is amazing as we think about what Jesus death really meant and how loving it really was.
Good Friday. It was on this day that Jesus did the jaw-dropping act that has captured people's attention and changed their lives for two thousand years. By the time you read this, Good Friday will be a thing of yesterday. We're on to Saturday and ready to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ tomorrow! HALLELUJAH! First though, I want to take a moment and think about what Jesus' death means.
We hear so much about Jesus suffering for our sins, but what did He actually suffer? When I was younger, I was very confused on this topic. I understood that Jesus died on the cross, but I didn't get A) why dying on the cross was so so horrible and B) why His specific death was so much worse than everyone else who had died on a cross. However, I was very hesitant to ask these questions. It felt like speaking my confusion was negating His sacrifice's incredibleness. Now I've finally found the answers! I've realized that asking these questions and getting answers doesn't negate His sacrifice, it makes me appreciate it that much more. So I'm going to share the answers!
A) Why is dying on the cross so horrible? I mean how does the cross even kill a person? I never understood this fully until I read "A Case for Christ." In Part 3 of the book, Lee Strobel interviews Dr. Alexander Metherell to find out the physical answers to Jesus' death. I've quoted a very small portion of the passage today below to give a glimpse into the graphic description.
"The pain was absolutely unbearable," he continued. "In fact, it was literally beyond words to describe; they had to invent a new word: excruciating. Literally, excruciating means 'out of the cross.' Think of that: they needed to create a new word, because there was nothing in the language that could describe the intense anguish caused during the crucifixion. At this point Jesus was hoisted as the crossbar was attached to the vertical stake, and then nails were driven through Jesus' feet. Again, the nerves in his feet would have been crushed, and there would have been a similar type of pain ...... with his heart beating erratically, Jesus would have known that he was at the moment of death, which is when he was able to say, 'Lord, into your hands I commit my spirit.' And then he died of cardiac arrest." -A Case for Christ, Lee Strobel. Pages 181 and 182
I've attached the link to a pdf of the book below. I highly, highly encourage you to click it and read pages 177 through 182. Lee Strobel interviews Dr. Metherell as he walks us through specific physical details of His death that will change your perspective of Good Friday forever. It's only five pages of your time that you'll gain so much from about the hours Jesus spent on the cross.
B) Now for the next question! The Romans killed a whole lot of people on crosses back in the day. Why was Jesus' death so much worse? The answer to this lies in the weight He carried. Our sins died with Jesus that day. Physically He was in pain, spiritually He was dying.
Think of a time that you did something wrong. You felt guilty and anguished and horrible. The consequences seemed like more than you could bear. Think of when someone hurt you. That deep deep pain and injustice. The embarrassment. Jesus felt that on the cross. He felt every bad decision ever made. He felt every painful moment ever had. He felt every ounce of hurt ever inflicted. He carried the weight of guilt and shame. He carried the dread of being separated from God. He felt our anguish. Our humiliation. Our awful moments. He carried it all. Every instance of it from all of time.
Honestly, the physical part was next to nothing compared to this. I mean could you even imagine? No wonder the sky turned black. No wonder He sweat blood. What is a wonder is that He stayed. That He didn't leap off the cross. That He took our places and died a spiritual death instead of us. That He went to hell in our place and then still had the strength to conquer the devil and flee hell victoriously. That He did it purely out of love.
In Ephesians 3 we read about "how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is." It's impossible to grasp a love like that. There is nothing else even close to it.
Jesus' death was the single most loving act that has ever happened in the history of ever.
Thank You Jesus. Words can never say enough. I know you want nothing in return for your love except my own, so I give all the love I have to You. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. That is all I want to say from now until forever. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.
Soaking in that Good Friday truth of what Jesus really did for us leaves me speechless and humbled. How can we ever respond to a love like that? By giving Him our love. Praying for you all this Holy Saturday as we remember how LOVED, LOVED, BEYOND WORDS LOVED we are!!!!
Gratitude by Brandon Lake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDHCzm0mhuk
I love how you explain our Lord’s intense love for us and what he went through so He could have us live with him forever! There is no one like Him- our King of Kings.
Beautiful blog Grace💕🌷🌼🌸🌹✝️
Wow Anna, this is so powerful! Thank you for this post. I missed church services yesterday due to unforeseen circumstances. I needed this.
wishing you and your family a Beautiful Happy Easter! Love, Aunt Linda