Christians everywhere observe the Friday before Easter as “Good Friday.” The darkest day in human history is also when Jesus Christ finished the most important part of His rescue mission here on Earth. He would take on all the sins of the world and die on the cross. He did this for us. When He cried out, “It is finished,” He died, and the scriptures tell us in Matthew 27:51 that the veil was torn, the curtain separating human beings from the Living God. Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf not only provided redemption from sin, but He also became our mediator. We have access to God the Father through Him as our high priest. When we repent of our sin and accept Christ’s gift of salvation, we have eternal life with Him in Heaven. We become God’s children, Christ’s brothers and sisters, all part of an amazingly large family.
My church, First Light Church, will welcome guests to take part in a Good Friday Immersive Experience Friday, April 7, from 3-8 p.m. at 140 Elva Court, Vandalia, Ohio. If you are in the area, please join us. If you are not in the area though, I wanted to share the devotional material I worked on for this event.
Tomorrow, people will take a retrospective journey through the last days of Jesus’ earthly ministry on Earth before He went to the cross. Think of what went through the minds of the disciples, friends and family of Jesus. Consider how they felt as His rescue plan unfolded. They imagined something different. They feared for His safety and their own. Some would turn away from Christ, while others moved into a mature faith in Him with a fire to become “fishers of men,” so that the whole world would hear.
A devotional is included for each of the stations. I will share those in subsequent posts. A prayer is provided as a “prayer starter.” The experience is meant to be a time of refreshment for your soul as you gain new insights about Jesus, the people, and the events within the Easter story in the four Gospel accounts.
Sunday is Easter, known as “Resurrection Day.” Our Savior defeated death and Hell and He lives today. The law, the prophets, and the Psalms were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. He told His disciples, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of His name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ You are witnesses of all these things.” (Luke 24:46-48)
Prayer Starter: Thank you, Jesus, for leaving Heaven for us. You dwelt among us and experienced life in this broken world. You know us through and through and love us still. We’re not worthy of your extravagant love, but You first chose us. Draw those who don’t know You today to seek the truth about who You are during this time of reflection this weekend. In Jesus’ name, we pray.
The Waiting Room 