Good Friday

* To my old readers (ahem! Haha), I posted this entry last year on Good Friday, as well as in my Multiply. Since my old blog archives are gone, I decided to repost it, as well as in Godchicks. :) No, I’m not online, I’m still on Internet fast. I had this posted in advance – much thanks to WordPress. Have a meaningful Good Friday everyone. :)

When people pass away, one of the first things we ask is how old the person is. If the person is old, say around seventy and above, we would say that he/she is old enough…but if it’s any younger, we would shake our heads in regret, sigh and say, “He/she died young.”

He was sent away to draw His final breath when He was only thirty-three. ((The Glory by Avalon))

Imagine dying at that age. Thirty-three. Not even hitting the age of forty, where life supposedly begins. Not even hitting mid-age. Dying at that age would certainly guarantee a sigh from all of us.

But not for this guy.

If there had been anyone who existed in this world who knew that he was going to die and was not afraid of it, it had to be Him. He knew about it even before He set foot in this world. Maybe, when His Father told Him of the Plan, He looked at His Father in confusion and said, “Are You sure You mean me?” Maybe He tried to find a way out of the Plan, like maybe someone else could substitute for Him or something.

But when He took one more look in His Father’s eyes and saw them brimming with tears of love for a people He created but didn’t care even the least bit about Him, He understood why He had to be the main player in the Plan. He saw that there was no one else who could save these people that His Father loved so much – only He can. He followed His Father’s gaze and looked at them – the people He created in His image and likeness – wasting themselves with worldly pleasures, exploiting each other without a care in the world. And then He felt His eyes fill with tears…because He was also overflowing with love for them.

And in the shame of dying a criminal’s death, He cleansed an angry world… ((ref:1))

He could have asked for a less painful way to save these people that He and His Father loved. He knew He could have asked His Father to just get rid of the people who disobeyed Him and then it would be over. But He didn’t. Because He knew that it had to be done. He knew that He had to be the one. More importantly, He also knew that His Father would be waiting for Him on the other side, ready to celebrate because the victory is already Theirs. So on that night at the garden, deserted by His friends, He prayed…He wanted to have the suffering taken away, but in the end, He let His Father decide. “Even if I wanted to, I know it is not Your will. And I can see it now Father. I saw them, and I don’t want them to suffer. I would rather go to hell for them than go to heaven without them. ((And The Angels Were Silent by Max Lucado)) Not my will, but Yours, Father.”

Father, why are they screaming?
Why are the faces of some of them beaming?
Why are they casting their lots for My robe?
This crown of thorns hurts Me more than it shows
Father, please can’t You do something?
I know that You must hear My cry
I thought I could handle the cross of this size
Father, remind Me why
Why does everyone want Me to die?
When will I understand why? ((Why by Nichole Nordeman))

At the moment where He hung, battered, bruised, bleeding, hardly able to breathe…He asked His Father…”Why?” His human side was suffering, and it was starting to affect His spirit. He wanted an affirmation, an answer from His Father…but of all the times He had to remain silent, it had to be now. His Father looked down…His heart as battered and bloody as His Son’s body…but He pursed His lips and stayed silent.

The angels of heaven were ready to fight, to save their Master from the cross, “Sir, we have all the armies ready to rescue Your Son.”

The Father looks at the angel and smiled sadly, “There’s no need to do that.”

The angels were silent, dumbfounded. They looked at each other, wondering if they heard it right. An angel dared to speak, “No…? But Master, why? It would be less painful…”
The Father answered gently: “Yes I could…and it would be less painful for Him and for Me…But then it wouldn’t be love.” ((In The Eye of the Storm by Max Lucado))

My precious Son, I hear them screaming
I’m watching the face of the enemy beaming
But soon I will clothe You in robes of My own
Jesus, this hurts Me much more than You know
But this dark hour I must do nothing
Though I’ve heard Your unbearable cry
The power in Your blood destroys all of the lies
Soon You’ll see past their unmerciful eyes
Look there below, see the child
Trembling by her father’s side
Now I can tell You why
She is why You must die ((ref:3))

In His last breaths, the Father finally spoke…whispering tender words to His Son’s heart, assuring Him of the victory that Heaven claimed that fateful Friday afternoon. And His Son’s labored breathing and struggling slowed down…His heart at peace with His Father’s words. He cast one final pained gaze at the people below the Cross; most of their faces curled in a sneer, mocking Him, while some of His friends who were brave enough to stay there with Him until the end gazed back at Him with tears in their eyes.

“It is finished.” ((John 19:30))

Then He looked up at Heaven, a pained smile forming on His lips, as if seeing His Father waiting for Him and the angels of heaven preparing His homecoming. The smile widened, and final bursts of pain came from His head, arms and feet. He took His final breath.

“Father, into Your hands, I commend my spirit.” ((Luke 23:46))

And closed His eyes.

The people who mocked Him, realizing that He was finally dead, started moving away from the crosses, talking about what they would do when they get home. His loved ones started crying even harder, hugging each other at the loss of their friends.

But Heaven? Angels started singing, blowing trumpets and dancing as their beloved Master arrived and was welcomed into His Father’s open arms.

“Did I do it right?” He asked His Father.

“You did it perfectly.” His Father replied, looking at His nailmarks which will forever be there before hugging Him again. “Now let’s go and start planning Your come back on Sunday, shall we? My people are in for the biggest surprise yet!”