He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up 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.”
Isaiah 53:3-5
It’s Good Friday, and my heart always has a hard time not skipping over this day lightly knowing that on Sunday, Easter will come, but here’s the thing... in my deepest places of sorrow and ache, it is Jesus on Good Friday who has brought me the most comfort. It is the Man of Sorrows Himself, who has met me in my deepest pits of hopelessness, in my biggest messes, in my most painful wounds.
I think that God’s answer to the suffering in this world is “Me too.” He doesn’t look down on our brokenness or our mistakes or our ache or our pain with a smug look on His face lecturing us on how we need to do better, He takes the pain upon Himself, He takes it for us so we know that we are not alone and so we can know that there is good reason to hope because suffering isn’t the end of the story. Easter is coming, but Lord don’t let me miss the power or significance of Good Friday. Thank You that You are acquainted with our grief. We are not alone, and HOPE is coming to rescue us.
Read more in my previous blog, “Man of Sorrows.”
