On Monday morning as Harper was putting her shoes on by the back door, she was looking over her classroom calendar for the week.  She noticed that Friday was Good Friday and they were out of school.  My kids know the resurrection story and well.  Hudson has always been very much interested in every last detail of it.  We read about it and they have videos about it too.  Harper sat there a moment and then asked, “Why is it called Good Friday?  I don’t understand why it is good at all.”  I looked at the sincerity on her face and as I spoke I got all weepy.  I explained to her that even though Jesus died an unimaginable death which is so sad and not good, it is Good Friday because He took on the sin of the world…mine & hers included…so we can be free in Christ and that is actually very, very good.

She said, “So it’s okay to be sad that He still died, but it’s good news for us.”  Yes.  A gift undeserved.

And what good news it is.  Today I’m thinking about the greatest gift ever given to me, you and the entire world.  He took on the sin of the world…He took on death…and won.  Love wins.  Always.  How humbling and amazing and incredible and I just will never grasp the magnitude of His love for me and you.  We don’t deserve it.  We’re ugly sinners and yet in Christ, we are new creations.  We are beautiful.  Loved.  Cherished.  Valued.  Redeemed.  Renewed.  Restored.  It absolutely floors me and I am beyond grateful.

Matthew 27:50-51 “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.  At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”

And with the most amazing sacrifice the world will ever see, we were all made righteous and all were welcomed to His table.  Nothing stood between us and the Lord of Lords…the King of the World…our Father…anymore.

Good Friday indeed.