Good Friday, a day when the church is called to remember the greatest sin ever committed: the murder of Jesus Christ.
Honestly, the injustice of the crucifixion makes me uncomfortable. Sure, I know that the events of Good Friday are part of the story, but honestly, I’d rather just get to Easter Sunday celebrations without acknowledging the utter depravity this day commemorates. I want to dress up in spring colors and plan lovely family get-togethers. This gloom isn’t really necessary, is it?
Yes, it is.
Why? Good Friday presents us with deeply difficult tension. On that day, humanity committed the greatest sin—and God offered the greatest act of love. Good Friday reminds us that we humans love our god-playing. We abuse our authority, while Jesus used his authority to lay his life down (John 10:18). We try to preserve the status quo, while Jesus disrupts our petty plans. On our own, we pursue our own ways, even if it means destroying the One who is perfectly good and loving.
God used a terrible sin to bring about salvation from our sin. We will see that salvation fully realized in the new heavens and the new earth, when we are finally made holy. That day is coming, but it isn’t here yet. Today, let yourself experience the discomfort this day brings—even as its tension reveals our true hope.
—Elyse Fitzpatrick, author, The Afternoon of Life
With humor, transparency, and biblical wisdom, Elyse Fitzpatrick shows that God uses the challenges of middle age—often the most difficult time in a woman’s life—to glorify himself and sanctify us. Drawing on Scripture and the stories of friends, she shows that when we cling to him as the source of our joy, peace, and blessing, we can laugh at the days to come.
Paperback | 200 Pages | 978-1-62995-921-4 | List: $18.99
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