Good Friday is.... really good.

Man, it's that time of year again. The weekend of the year that is designated to recognize Christ and His work on the cross. I guess growing up going to church, I've been to many Good Friday and Resurrection Day Services, and for some reason I've always thought Good Friday is supposed to be the day where we remember that Jesus died (which is supposed to be kind of sad), and Resurrection Sunday is when we celebrate Christ's conquering over death (which is supposed to be happy).

So, I guess I went to Good Friday Service with the mindset that I was supposed to be a somber time of mourning, just meditating on His death and suffering, and thinking about what put Him there on the cross, that being my own sins, and the sins of the world, which is seemingly a very expected thing to do. But then as our pastor intern was preaching his sermon on John 19:30 and explaining what exactly "was finished" on the cross, I was reminded that Good Friday is called "Good" Friday for a reason.

1 Peter 2:24 [He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.]

We often hear sermons about how we don't take our sin seriously enough, and that is absolutely true. We don't take our sins seriously enough. I know for me I often brush things off, even though I know that I'm not supposed to be doing/thinking sinful things. But man, at the same time when I'm convicted of my sin, it's so easy for me to forget that my sins have already been paid for. It's so easy for me to get wrapped up in my own sin, and forget about Christ altogether. I forget about God's mercy and grace...

BUT NO! I was reminded once again that it is not about my sins, but it is about Christ that by HIS wounds, we have been HEALED (notice the tense). That we are no longer held in bondage to our sins, and that by His work, we ARE able to live in His righteousness. Yes, mourn and be awed by what the Savior went through on the cross, but let us all be encouraged to be awed even more at the fact that all of that He went through all of that for the reason that we would be saved, and ultimately in that display God's power and glory.

Isn't the irony so amazing? Something so horrid can result in something so good and awesome?

Dang, God is so good. Good Friday is really... good indeed. Praise God!