Good Friday

About thirty years ago at seven am every morning I would listen to Chuck Swindoll on the radio, it was during this week before Easter that he was doing this series about all the biblical events leading up to Easter weekend. I will never forget it because he painted a picture with his words that will forever be in my mind and heart. Yes I had heard the crucifixion preached before but not like this. I remember when I left my house the program would start and the next thing I knew I was parked at work still listening when he finished for that day I would just sit there in my car with tears in my eyes and could not even remember driving. He so eloquently spoke about The Last Supper, the prayers in the garden of Gethsemane, the betrayal, Peter's denial. The in depth details of Christ's brutal beating and crucifixion like I had never heard before. He talked about the lead tipped whip (flagrum or flagellum) used to scourge and how it would not only sting and inflict pain but also pull flesh from the body. The crown of thorns, the mocking, being spit upon and how Satan and his demons must have been so delighted in this. He talked about the long journey carrying this heavy crossbeam after the scourging. The nailing of His body to the cross and how one could not breathe while hanging from the cross without pushing himself up by his feet and how the body had to constantly work up and down on the cross just to breathe. The earthquake, the vail, the centurion, God turning his back. He talked about how the sinister darkness blotted out the sun and
smothered Jerusalem under a blanket of evil. The devil had won, The Son of God was dead once and for all. Swindoll said, the demons, the darkness and the death all three worked diligently throughout the ministry of Jesus to bring about this long and anguishing day. But what noone could see is that The Messiah's death would stike at the very heart of evil.

On this Good Friday as we smell the flowers, gas up the boats and die the eggs lets not forget what he did for us. Life would be so miserable if we did not have this hope. This is why I chose him.