Good Friday and the Cross of Christ

We are still asking for everyone connected to All Things New to continue praying for Haiti, our kids, and our employees. At the same time, we continue to pray for America, our supporters, and all that is going on here as well. If there are any specific things we can pray for for any of you, please let us know (mattbush15@gmail.com). 

The Cross of Good Friday is something that is so counterintuitive that it is difficult to explain. Think about it:

• The Cross is an instrument of death that we exalt as one of Christianity's greatest symbols of hope.
• It is a call to put our faith and trust in someone who was beaten, mocked, bruised, and killed. 
• It is the perfect example of power in humility, something that almost no longer exists in our culture.
• Jesus does not even try to fight back. He sits there and takes the punishment like He deserves it. He says nothing, does nothing, and in the end is forced to carry His own Cross to the place where He would die.
• Even His prayer asking GOD to take the cup from Him seems like weakness. We want Him to stand up and scream like every movie army in history as they go into battle. 

Jesus was like a sheep before his shearers. Why do we worship someone who is the exact opposite of the people that we put on pedestals today. Politicians who believe themselves to be above the law, athletes who talk incessantly about how much better they are than everyone else, and CEOs and leaders who are more concerned with money and power than anything else. These are the people that we strive to emulate. And then we have the description of Jesus in Isaiah 53.

In the end, on Easter Day, Jesus showed Himself more powerful and greater than anyone or anything that had ever existed. He defeated death, saved our souls, and worshipped GOD in everything that He did. And it is on these things that we focus, with good reason.

Today, however, as we celebrate Good Friday together. Let's not forget the Jesus of that day. The love displayed in humility and His ability to put the entire world above Himself even though He was GOD. The joy and the power of Sunday are awesome and incredible, but the humility and love of Christ on the Cross are beautifully counterintuitive while at the same time a great example of what we are supposed to be as followers of Christ.