Growing up in a Spanish Pentecostal home, Good Friday was a sacred day in our family for prayer and reflection. Every Good Friday we spent from two to five in the afternoon in worship at church. We listened to preaching on the last seven words of Christ from the cross and sang the hymns, “The Old Rugged Cross” and “On the Cross Where I First Believed.”
In my earlier years, the day was filled with doom and gloom. As I grew in my faith so did my understanding of the message of the cross. Here is a Good Friday reflection to guide you through this holy day.
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Good Friday Reflection
On Good Friday, the words of Apostle Paul become real to me, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
Crucifixion was an exceedingly common in antiquity. The Romans conventionalized it as a form of state punishment. For many the death of Jesus on the cross is a mystery; for others madness. For me, the cross expresses the power of an amazing love.
We know from history that in Jesus’ time there were many claiming to be the Messiah but only one wasn’t forgotten…. the One who changed the course of history. On Good Friday the cross of shame, defeat and failure was transformed into a symbol of victory.
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What could compel Jesus to give his life, be tortured and humiliated on the cross? Love. In the Bible, we read the words of Jesus in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” He thought of us above all else, so that we would experience the power of love through forgiveness, the abundant life and external life. The cross of death became the gift of life!
What could compel Jesus to give his life, be tortured and humiliated on the cross? Love.
Today I still miss my childhood Good Friday services and reflection, but no matter where I am, the message of the cross remains the same…God loves us. What does the cross mean to you? Do you have any childhood memories of a Good Friday service? Share your story with us in the comments field below.
Lord, thank you for your amazing love expressed through Christ on the cross. May we experience the power of Your love in our lives.
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