Weekly Devotionals - 3 April

Isaiah 53 is a prophecy about the Servant of the Lord who would atone for our sins by taking the punishment we deserve, so that we may be forgiven and spared of the consequences. On Good Friday, our Lord Jesus fulfilled this prophecy when He was persecuted for a crime He did not commit, bruised and wounded by beatings and scourging that He did not deserve, and pierced by thorns, nails, and a spear, though He had done no wrong. In fact, He died that day at the hands of evil men through a miscarriage of justice! It looked more like a bad Friday than a good one! In what way was that Friday a good Friday?

Good Friday is good because…
• Jesus endured the pain and shame of crucifixion, so we need not endure the agony and misery of judgement and hell, which we fully deserve because of our sin (Hebrews 9:27-28).
• Jesus was separated from His beloved Father so that we, who were formerly the enemies of God, may be reconciled to Him as His beloved children who will live with Him eternally (John 1:12, 3:16; Romans 5:8).
• The Son of God was stripped of all His clothes, and was made to hang naked on the cross, so that you and I may be clothed with righteousness and dignity as the sons and daughters of God (1 John 3:1-2).
• He who knew no sin became sin for us so that in Him we may become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).
• By being wounded for us on that Friday, today we can be healed of all kinds of diseases in Him (Matthew 8:17), whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual.
• By being nailed to the cross and made to lose His freedom, He has freed us from sin and sinful addictions so that we are free to live righteously for God (Romans 6:6-7, 18).
• By becoming a curse on the cross, He has broken the curse of sin for us and qualified us to become recipients of God’s promised blessings, and to be a blessing to others (Galatians 3:13-14).

So an out-of-the-world exchange took place at the cross, at Christ’s expense and in our favour! Jesus suffered pain, shame, rejection, and injustice so we may be forgiven, freed, made righteous, healed, blessed, and be a blessing to others! What a good and glorious Friday it was and continues to be!

This calls for a response of thanksgiving, worship, and consecration. Leading up to Friday this week:
• Be filled with thanksgiving and worship daily. Thank God for what Christ has done on Good Friday and for the blessings that have flowed to us as a result.
• Examine yourself and deal with the sins that you’re struggling with. Confess them to God and ask for forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:9). Repent of these sins (Ephesians 4:24-26) and rededicate yourself to live for God and His kingdom (Matthew 6:33).
• Come back to church on Good Friday for a time of thanksgiving and celebration, and bring a friend with you.