More than Heaven

Good Friday is really good.  And not only because that day paved the way to eternal life.  Don't get me wrong, I want eternal life, I want fulfilling joy, no pain or tears and life in paradise!  But on the every day of Monday through Friday, I need Good Friday.

On Friday, Jesus suffered wrongful accusations, the betrayal of friends, the silence of very close friends, physical abuse and emotional abuse, events happened where the crowd got carried away from fear and a lack of understanding.  It reminds me of days we are currently living.  Confusion, pain, accusations surround us.  It's called life.  The every days we are living.  And that is why I need Good Friday every day.

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” Mark 15:37-39

When the curtain ripped in the temple a lot got ripped with it.  A lot of destruction took place for us on Good Friday.  The everyday confusion of life, ripped apart for clarity arrived.  The pain of shame ripped away.  The pain of disappointment and loss ripped apart as new life emerged.  The defeat of our daily worries, our hidden fears ripped into healing.

Jesus' willingness to take all the accusations, all the insults, all the rejection opens healing for us today.  Yes, Jesus defeated death and so much more.

Do we dare claim such a total victory this Easter?