Good Friday is the most solemn day of the year. It is the day we remember the crucifixion of Jesus. While the event was necessary to prove the power of Christ over death and ultimately resulted in His resurrection, there is still no more ominous moment in history. Never before, never since, and never again will such a tragedy occur. We remember this day because the very creation of God, acting in the freewill given to them by their Creator, nailed His Son to a cross and watched Him die. Jesus willingly allowed them to take His life from Him so that He might be the salvation of us all.
Faith
Crash
There will be times in our walk where everything seems to be going well. Our ministry (personal or professional) is humming along smoothly and we are content and satisfied with our growth. Another word for content and satisfied would be comfortable. The problem is that I believe comfortable Christianity is an oxymoron. As soon as we get comfortable in our faith, that’s the time we will find ourselves tested. Our greatest tribulations often come on the heels of our greatest triumphs. Just when it looks like we have everything figured out, all the rules suddenly change and we find ourselves with more questions than answers, flailing in our faith, and desperately crying out to God.
Beyond Belief
Do you ever wonder how people live without Jesus? Where do they turn when life gets overwhelming? How do they find the strength to persevere through difficult times? I’m certain I’d be dead or certifiably crazy, save for the fact that I know Jesus is with me through everything. There is no storm He cannot calm, no trouble He cannot heal. When I look around at the turmoil in our world, I don’t understand how people can feel anything but despair. There is no hope to be found of our own ingenuity or creation. While so many think the faith I have in Jesus is ridiculous and restrictive, I cannot imagine living in their alternative!
What’s Your Isaac?
One of the most dramatic stories in the Bible is that of Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22:1-17). Most are familiar with the details, but allow me to quickly recap. God promised Abraham that many nations would come from him, and that the entire world would be blessed through his lineage. Yet Abraham and his wife had grown old and still had no children. But miraculously, Sarah became pregnant and had a son named Isaac. Fast forward about ten years. God told Abraham to offer Isaac, he and Sarah’s only son, as an offering to Him. After all these years, all that waiting, it now appeared that God would take away what seemed to matter most to Abraham.
Risk and Faith
I have often said that following Jesus is not for the faint of heart. Generally I’ve spoken about this in terms of the gritty, sometimes dangerous, consequences of being a follower of Jesus. In numerous countries around the world, following Jesus could easily cost you your life. Even in the West, declaring you are a disciple will often be met with sneers and derision. But there is another way that dedicating oneself to Jesus is not for the timid. He will often lead you to places that are far outside your comfort zone. To follow Jesus with all your heart will require great faith and will surely involve great risk.