Beyond the Weekend: Road to Resurrection
The Passion of Jesus defines the events leading up to Easter and is the biggest holiday season celebrated by Christians around the world. The milestones of this season include Jesus’ Triumphal Entry, Good Friday, and Easter. But why do the events of Jesus’ Passion matter? Do they even have significance in our lives today?
In this 3-week series ROAD TO RESURRECTION leading up to Easter, Sr. Pastor Aaron Buer will teach about the biblical and cultural significance of the events of Jesus’ Passion and share the impact of Jesus’ sacrifice for our eternity.
Week 1: Matthew 21:1-11
Week 2: Matthew 27:45-53
Week 3: Luke 24:13-35
Good Friday
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb. Matthew 27:61
Read: Matthew 27:11-66 Listen: Matthew 27
TODAY'S MESSAGE
Today is Good Friday when Christians have intentionally slowed down to reflect on the cross for centuries. It’s a day to sit with the weight of the cross and reflect on the anguish and pain Jesus bore because of sin. Two thousand years ago, a group of people stood by watching Jesus die. Mathew references three women specifically. They have been following and caring for Jesus. Surely, their hearts sunk as Jesus cried out for the final time, and they noticed his body stop struggling for oxygen. Now, the person they had dedicated years to had succumbed to the execution. Jesus is dead. It must’ve been heartbreaking.
It is both emotionally and intellectually easy to move through the pain and suffering of the cross quickly. Unlike the women on that Friday, we know Jesus will rise again on Sunday. But, there is value in sitting with the weight of the cross, acknowledging the pain our sins brought upon Jesus. This regular reflection, on Good Friday and every time we take communion, should impact how we live. Meditating on the cost of the cross is transformative. It can reorient our hearts toward hating our sins and desiring to obey God’s way. The reminder of our brokenness can cause us to have far more grace for the failures of others.
TODAY: Sit in the weight of the cross today. Find 10 minutes, a half hour or an hour to spend alone with God, reflecting on the cross in silence. Open your heart to God. Acknowledge your sin sent Jesus to the cross. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see how your heart, character and actions need to change because of the cross.
JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Read Hosea 13-14. Highlight anything that points to Jesus.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
