That fateful Thursday night, Jesus was betrayed as he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. He prayed earnestly, so earnestly, that it is said His sweat was as drops of blood. First, He knew what awaited Him. He asked that that cup pass from Him, but as He continued to pray, He changed to one of complete submission to God, as He said, “Not my will but Yours, Father.” A horrid night of accusation, and man’s purest form of nastiness occurred, with mocking, beating, and humiliation. Even Peter, one of His closest disciples, abandoned Him, saying, as Jesus predicted, he would deny knowing Him not once, not twice, but three times.
This side of the cross, we can call this Good Friday. Not so much for the followers of Jesus who saw Him struggle, carrying the means of his execution to the taunts of the fickle crowd. Some who had shouted Hosanna to the King of David now yelled epithets, curses, and shouted, “Crucify Him!” because He was falsely accused of blasphemy against the Jewish God. He claimed to be God’s son. How dare He?
But in the throng were women who knelt at the foot of the cross. On one side was a repentant man who would acknowledge Christ and receive the promise of that day’s paradise. The centurion who saw the tumult of the storm and earthquake said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” And Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea carefully prepared Him for burial. It was by no means a “good” Friday.
Only on Easter morning did the picture change. Yes, today is “Good” Friday, for we proclaim “He is risen! He is risen, indeed.” And we pass on the story, the beautiful redemptive story, as our legacy to our children and to yet another generation awaiting His sure return. And we, since Easter, are in the Last Days, watching expectantly for the return of Christ to proclaim His kingdom once and for all. We will indeed hear rumors of war, see earthquakes, famine, pestilence, and the reign of evil through Satan’s worst, just as Noah saw, when evil seems to win, but Christ wins the ultimate battle and will reign in the Peaceable Kingdom where there will be no more tears, no more death, no more sorrow, and we will know Him fully.
Easter is yet another opportunity for those who have postponed thinking about the difference Christ makes in our lives. His elect will hear His voice. We worship Him today. We think about the disciples who were bereft through Saturday. And we rejoice at His victory on Easter and Beyond. And today, Lent ends and the Beyond Easter begins.
MY PSALM 343 LEGACY
Everlasting Father, Eternal and Omnipotent,
Hear our prayer for our children.
You promised to be our God
If we would be Your covenant people.
You told us to write Your words on the doorposts
Of our homes, and on our hearts.
You taught us to speak of them to our children,
When we rose up, when we went upon our way,
When we made our beds in various places,
Your truth on our tongues and in our lives.
Father, we ask forgiveness
For the times busyness has taken over our lives.
We have turned from Your ways
And followed our guidance rather than Yours.
We have mixed up our priorities
And trusted in our wisdom,
Seeking Yours when things go awry
Or we see our shortcomings.
This day we pray for our children,
The legacy You have provided through Your mercy,
The next generation who will take up Your cause
And live for Your kingdom’s sake
On earth as it is in heaven.
Find us faithful in petition for their souls,
For You gave our children to us
For such a short time
But for eternity for You.
In the twinkling of an eye
They too have become parents,
Teaching their little ones to love You,
To feast on Your Word,
To dwell in the walls of our tabernacles
And be surrounded by Your clouds of witnesses
As we have been.
Help us to be constant in prayer for their tasks
To buttress their efforts,
To walk humbly before You
In the wisdom of years,
Knowing the awesome task set before them.
Use us in preparing the generations
To march on to victory,
Ever proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ
To an ever-changing world.
Teach us so we can teach them
To rely only upon Your grace
To speak of You often
Instilling Your precepts
And marking the narrow road
Which leads to Your throne,
For You are the answer to life’s questions
And the eternal Truth which provides
The peace that passes all understanding.
You have told us our grandchildren
Are the crowns of our grey hairs,
And we dedicate them to Your care
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
MY PSALM 341 HE DID IT FOR US
Dear Heavenly Father, Provider of all good things,
Sustainer of Creation, Merciful to all, Abba, Father,
We glorify Your Name and thank You for Your Son, Jesus.
We celebrate this special week, this Holy Week
For in it, we recognize the immensity of Your sacrifice
To fulfill Your Covenant promise, “ I will be Your God.”
May we in worship and renewed lives fulfill our part,
“We will be Your people and live for Your Glory!”
We remember His humble beginnings on our behalf.
Born in a rustic place, scratchy straw his pillow,
Lowly animals his lullaby songs,
No sterile environment, doctors, and ultrasounds,
Not for the Son of God, our Savior.
We remember his earthly parents
Charged with the responsibility of raising Your Son
To live humbly, to appreciate the little things,
To see possibilities,
To reserve His power for important moments,
To strive for Holiness, to seek the poor and downtrodden,
To shun glory for Himself, to teach precepts by example,
To turn everyday things into parables of significance,
To choose His associates from among the humble
To speak in public places and influence leaders,
To spend precious time in prayer and thanksgiving,
To resist Satan’s temptations and the easy road to fame,
To give Himself away as the Perfect Sacrifice,
And to show us the way to Heaven
And the relationship we can enjoy with You.
We see His miracles, we read His story,
We imperfectly follow His example
To serve You in every circumstance
In humble submission to Your will.
Help us to remember the joy of our salvation
To pray often for those who are lost,
To serve those who need You most,
To set our priorities to align with Your will,
And to be worthy of Your grace
Given so freely yet at such a price.
We bow in Your Presence
By serving You in thanksliving
For loving us enough to send Your Son
Jesus to redeem, restore, and resurrect us
On that last day when we join You
In eternal praise and worship.
In Jesus’ Precious Name
And for Your Glory. Amen.
About the Author
