“Surely he took our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. -Isaiah 53:4-6
Do you remember watching A Charlie Brown Christmas during Christmastime, and at the end Linus steps out and quietly explains what Christmas is all about?
I’ve been thinking about that lately…how simple and clear that moment is. And it made me realize, I don’t always slow down in the same way to think about what Easter is really all about.
So today, on Good Friday, I wanted to pause.
Because on this day, 2,000 years ago, was probably the darkest day in all of history.
The day Jesus willingly took on all of humanity’s — including our own — unthinkable sin and shame, bearing it on the cross in an act of perfect love and mercy. He paid the price we could never pay, so that we could be forgiven and made right with God.
God sent His Son to Earth to stand in our place, to pay for our sins and transgressions. What is so mind-blowing is that He was fully man…experiencing this world just as we do, with all of it’s heartache and pain…and yet fully God. He had the power to “punch out” as it were at any point, but He chose, every day, to stay and live among us.
And He allowed the authorities of the day to try Him in a mockery of a court and to sentence Him to death. He endured it all for you. He endured it all for me. It may sound too good to be true — and in a way, it is. But that is what Easter is all about. God carrying out the greatest rescue humanity will ever know, saving us from the destruction we have brought upon ourselves.
The truth is, we may never fully understand or even have the ability to comprehend all that transacted that day on the cross. Or the wonder of Jesus’ resurrection three days later, where He conquered death for all time. But the good news is, we don’t have to fully process or understand God’s mercy towards us to receive it.
We only have to accept His mercy and give our hearts fully to Him. He will show us what we need to see and know about Him. And He will work in our lives from the inside out, shaping us into the people He knows we can be with Him.
We can do nothing apart from God, and that includes saving ourselves. Do not wait. Today, give your heart to Him in full surrender. He is the best place, the safest place, to trust with your heart. After all, each of us were fearfully and wonderfully made, and He cares for us deeply.
So if today you feel the tug to give your heart to Jesus Christ, you can pray this:
Scripture references:
–John 15:5
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing”
“Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people, and he announced his verdict. “You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent. Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”
Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!” (Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.) Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
–Psalms 139:13-14
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”
#easterreflections2026 #goodfriday2026✝️🙏 #Easter
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