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Good Friday is the bleakest moment in the Gospel story. Reading the story of Jesus' arrest, trial and crucifixion today, we have the benefit of knowing that it's all leading up to the triumph of Easter. But to the Jesus-followers present at the scene, it must have seemed that the world as they knew it was falling apart.
One of the challenges of reading the crucifixion story two thousands years after the event took place is that it's difficult for us to empathize with its participants. From our perspective, the Easter crowds seem insanely fickle; Jesus' disciples seem utterly clueless; the members of the Sandhedrin contemptibly evil; Pilate laughably corrupt.
Those things are true. Nobody except Jesus behaves well in the Good Friday story. But it's these very people-fickle, clueless, evil, corrupt-that Jesus died for.
The truth is that we have much in common with the fools and villains of Easter. The wonder is that Jesus loved them, and us, enough to submit to foolishness, injustice, and death. The miracle is that three days later, he rose from the dead to offer us salvation. Hallelujah, what a Savior!
If you haven't read the complete story of the crucifixion recently, today's a perfect day to revisit it. Here are the four Gospel accounts of the story. You can read the full text in Malankara World:
■ Matthew 26:14-27:66
■ Mark 14:12-15:47
■ Luke 22-23
■ John 18-19
Source: Biblegateway.com
See Also:
Passion Week Supplement in Malankara World
Passion Week Home | Sermons Home | General Sermons and Essays | Articles Home | Library - Home | Baselios Church Home
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