Good Friday Meditation

I have often said in my preaching—“Sometimes God gives us what we want…sometimes that isn’t good.”

Reading a Good Friday passage this morning in Luke it dawned on me that in the exercise of free will there can be tragedy or triumph.  When the “First Couple” was in the Garden the liberty to choose was in full force. Would it yield remorse or jubilation. Choose well and LIFE results; choose poorly, and death…

 "When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked…"  (Genesis 3:6-7)                 “Death entered the world.”

God’s perfect plan for all of humanity, living in perfect harmony with both creation and Creator, came to a devastating halt.  All that God intended for mankind--unsullied communion with their Heavenly Father enjoying Him and the marvel of His wondrous works in the universe for ever and ever—was turned into an existence of struggle, pain, sorrow and death.  It would remain so until Father would bring a renewed universe, once again perfect in all ways, through the work of the Triune Godhead; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The eons passed.

 "…while we were children, we were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons."  (Galatians 4:3-5)

Today we are mindful of the torment of the Perfect One standing before Pontius Pilate; the Creator subjecting Himself to the choice of His creatures. "Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, but they kept on calling out, saying, "Crucify, crucify Him!""  (Luke 23:20-21)
"And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted. And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder,
                                    but he delivered Jesus to their will."  (Luke 23:24-25)

An absolutely horrid turn of events for the Perfect One; an absolutely liberating one for mankind.
And this was the plan of The Almighty from before the foundations of the Earth.

"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."  (1 John 4:10) 

                                    Thank you Father, Son and Holy Spirit.