Good Friday is probably the best known day of Holy Week. Some schools still dismiss to honor the holiday, and it's one of the core moments of Christianity.
Some people make the cross THE core. I think that may be somewhat misguided for several reasons. 1. I like to think that there was more to Jesus than just death (something we all can do). 2. Without the resurrection Jesus is just another dead deity. 3. The cross as the core puts everything on Jesus and there is a responsibility that every follower has in response to Christ. 4. No one at the time saw the power of God at that moment, except the centurion (that in no way means power was absent, just unseen and deniable). The power of God cannot be avoided upon the resurrection of Jesus, by those eye witnesses and even today.
Don't get me wrong the cross is extremely important. It is prophesied about and God did not save Jesus from that reality. It reminds us Jesus is human and teaches us the fullness of God's love. And I can also argue that raising the importance of the cross is due to the fact of the resurrection and maybe I'm splitting hairs.
But being Crucifixed (fixated only on crucifixion) has at least two dangers.
1. We can become so fixated on the crucifixion and what Jesus did that we feel no pull or tug on our lives to be true disciples of Christ because we place all responsibility and response on Jesus.
2. We can easily neglect the entire story of God for only a small (although of high importance) piece. We won't see the need to pour over the Torah or be amazed at the prophets proclamations. We won't find genealogies fascinating and we won't have much use for serving others and following Paul's exhortations.
This is why on Good Friday we challenge ourselves to live Cruciformed (formed by the crucifixion) lives. Then we see our place in the story. We answer the call to true discipleship (not just church membership). We lived shaped by God because he gave his only Son for our sin and for us to live Kingdom Lives.
Now that's a Good Friday!
Good Friday Readings: Matthew 27:32-56, Luke 23:26-49
Challenge: write down 3 ways you live a Cruciformed life.
Write down 3 more/different ways you could live a Cruciformed life
Some people make the cross THE core. I think that may be somewhat misguided for several reasons. 1. I like to think that there was more to Jesus than just death (something we all can do). 2. Without the resurrection Jesus is just another dead deity. 3. The cross as the core puts everything on Jesus and there is a responsibility that every follower has in response to Christ. 4. No one at the time saw the power of God at that moment, except the centurion (that in no way means power was absent, just unseen and deniable). The power of God cannot be avoided upon the resurrection of Jesus, by those eye witnesses and even today.
Don't get me wrong the cross is extremely important. It is prophesied about and God did not save Jesus from that reality. It reminds us Jesus is human and teaches us the fullness of God's love. And I can also argue that raising the importance of the cross is due to the fact of the resurrection and maybe I'm splitting hairs.
But being Crucifixed (fixated only on crucifixion) has at least two dangers.
1. We can become so fixated on the crucifixion and what Jesus did that we feel no pull or tug on our lives to be true disciples of Christ because we place all responsibility and response on Jesus.
2. We can easily neglect the entire story of God for only a small (although of high importance) piece. We won't see the need to pour over the Torah or be amazed at the prophets proclamations. We won't find genealogies fascinating and we won't have much use for serving others and following Paul's exhortations.
This is why on Good Friday we challenge ourselves to live Cruciformed (formed by the crucifixion) lives. Then we see our place in the story. We answer the call to true discipleship (not just church membership). We lived shaped by God because he gave his only Son for our sin and for us to live Kingdom Lives.
Now that's a Good Friday!
Good Friday Readings: Matthew 27:32-56, Luke 23:26-49
Challenge: write down 3 ways you live a Cruciformed life.
Write down 3 more/different ways you could live a Cruciformed life
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