Good Friday Meditation

Good Friday Meditation

Ps Renny Khoo

14 April 2017

Peter's Confession of Christ 

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 20 Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

Jesus Predicts His Death 

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"

23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling- block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. 28 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

The necessity of the cross

The misery of the cross

The brutality of the cross

The cross presented - He must go to Jerusalem. It's a necessity and part of God's plan at the foundation of the earth. That the creator will die for His creation.

Must does not mean Jesus had no choice. He has the choice.

He who has no sin was pinned down by sins on his body. 

He bore the emotional mockery by the people.

He endured the spiritual separation from the Father.

We cannot accept good things if we do not accept His entire plans and package. 

It is a daily taking up of the cross to follow Jesus, its dying to self. 

We belong to Christ twice - by creation and by virtue of redemption through the cross.

My personal reflection :-

This year, the church made a cross for everyone who attended the service that Good Friday, it was a very meaningful to have a "personal" cross made out for each one of us. My reflection for this Lent conclusion: Christ has loved us and may we not take His love in vain. His suffering was real and brutal, may we  not nail Him to the cross again with our repeated falling into sins.