A Conflict of Feelings

Snow on the ground, cold in the air, but, but it was just 80-something the other day? Ah, yes, normal weather shifts for the start of spring here on the high plains. On this day though, we must always come back to what our Lord endured: a night without sleep, rushed from court to palace to high priest's house to other places all while bound and standing some sort of false trial. Then, scourging in the Roman manner, striking, crowned with thorns, more pain and suffering and humiliation, before finally carrying at least a stout and heavy wooden crosspiece if not an entire cross to physical collapse, and the ultimate humiliation of death by crucifixion, the worst form of death the old world could invent. Yet, all of that is cause for celebration with us; how can this thing be?

We are caught on every Good Friday with this war of feelings. On the one hand we feel the guilt and shame of what our Lord endured because of our sin. Yet, the cross was a victory of Jesus over death and the grave. By His stripes we are healed and it is through His payment for our sin that we are set free from the law of sin and death. This conflict of feeling is, I believe, exactly what we should feel on this day. We are still in this world and do suffer the curse that sin brought to it, but we also know the relief of laying our sin burden at the foot of the cross. We know more each day of the Truth who is Jesus our Lord, and each day we are set free a bit more on our way to sanctification in Christ. Yet again, each time we sin we feel that awful guilt over what our Lord endured in our place. All on Him.

One day, Christ will end forever this conflict of feelings. Like one final and glorious Resurrection Day, we too will be one with Christ in His glory. No more crying and sorrow and pain as the sin clouds of this earth depart forever. Until that day, ponder on the suffering of our Savior, but also rejoice in what our Lord accomplished on our behalf.

In Christ we live,
Bucky