Six Trials and Three Denials to Good Friday

The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” – (Luke 23:47, NIV)

The army officer there saw what happened. He praised God, saying, “I know this man was a good man!” – (Luke 23:47, ERV)

When the Roman captain overseeing the crucifixion witnessed all that took place, he was awestruck and glorified God. Acknowledging what they had done, he said, “I have no doubt; we just killed the righteous one.” – (Luke 23:47, TPT)

 

Good Friday. There is seemingly much irony in the name, as nothing that Jesus endured that day was good at all. Six trials, three denials, multiple beatings, abuse, mocking, disregarding, false accusations, a crown of thorns, and hanging on a cross, bearing the sin and shame of the world, all before noon that day. And yet, the things that transpired during the six hours that Friday, as Jesus hung in agony on the cross, transformed the heart and mind of a Roman army officer, whom likely was eager to crucify Jesus, when the whole scene on the hill began. He watched as Jesus forgave the criminals accused on either side of Him; he heard as Jesus told his mother that His dear friend would be her son (to care for her and help provide, as was customary and necessary back then); the officer witnessed Jesus turning down a drink that would have taken the edge off of the pain, and he heard Jesus cry out and commit His spirit into the Lord’s hands. As the darkness surrounded the scene from noon to three, I imagine the magnitude of the man, Jesus, before him, began to really resonate clearly in the heart of the Roman captain. When Jesus took His final breath, other signs and wonders transpired too. That centurion’s heart was forever changed, as he recognized a fraction of the reality of what had just taken place, and that they had indeed crucified the righteous one. In all reality, we ought to have the same sort of life-changing aha moments at the foot of the cross, as we recognize that Jesus hung in our place to extend us His grace so that we might live. All of us, without Jesus, deserve death. We all are sinners in need of mercy and grace. Jesus came, lived and loved, died and rose again, so that we could indeed refer to that horrific, painful, agonizing Friday, as good. May we take time today to kneel at the foot of the cross and give thanks. For God is so good and full of grace that He loved us with His very life.

 

Lord, help us to see,

The truth through fresh eyes;

The weight sacrificed,

Saves us from demise.

The burdens You bore,

Were meant to be ours;

Your love held You there,

Enduring the scars.

There are not the words,

To ever suffice;

To praise and give thanks,

For Your sacrifice.

Today I will choose,

To kneel at the cross;

Give all unto You,

Without You, I’m lost.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to bear the weight for us all. Thank You Jesus, for living in perfect love. Thank You for showing us what it means to endure all things in love, and why that wretched, awful, agonizing Friday was actually good. Forgive us for our lack of attention to the significance of what You did for us. Teach us to look back and recognize all that You endured on our behalf in love. Show us how to embrace the grace that You have freely given, so that we might go forth and love others as You love us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we love You and praise You for the amazing good that came from that Friday so many years ago. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely He was the Son of God!” – Matthew 27:54

Faith in the Fire

The account of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego as they stood firm in the face of fire in front of King Nebuchadnezzar is a childhood favorite of mine. This morning, as I read it anew, there were details that stood out to me more than they ever have before. One such point that had previously escaped me, is the fact that the men whom Nebuchadnezzar considered his strongest men, were called on to throw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the fire that had been heated to seven times hotter than its usual temperature. The trio of faithful followers of God were tied up, fully clothed, and thrown into the furnace, however, this is the part that I neglected to notice before:

And because the king in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. – (Daniel 3:22, NLT)

Can you even begin to imagine what the scene might have been like? Three men bound and fully clothed (in attire that was quite flammable) not even breaking a sweat and untouched by the fire, as the soldiers were consumed by the blazing heat of the flames as they drew near the furnace and threw in Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. It is an interesting dichotomy, as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego willingly went to the fire because they trusted God, whereas the strong soldiers willingly went to the fire because they knew if they did not obey, they would be killed. On one side there was faithful obedience out of trust and reverent awe, whereas on the other, it was only out of fear. Our motivation matters. When we know God, we want to obey and honor Him because we trust in His goodness and grace. May we ever trust the Lord and His hand when we stand in the face of the fire, for He is good and His faithfulness knows no end.

 

We must choose to trust,

When facing the flames;

For He’s our rescue,

As we trust His Name.

Worthy of our faith,

The God of all grace;

He comes as we call,

Wherever the place.

No mountain’s too high,

Nor valley too low;

For Him to draw near,

And make His strength known.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we trust in You, You are faithful to meet us where we are. Thank You that You hear our every prayer, and know every need. Forgive us for our lack of faith when the flames come at us with force. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would stand firm in You, knowing that You are far greater than anything that comes against us. Show us how to love those around us in a way that offers hope and strength where they are lacking. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we trust in You in the fire and in freedom. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. – 2 Corinthians 1:3

Light in Loss

I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. – (Lamentations 3:20-22, NLT)

 

Yesterday evening, in our neighboring city, a police officer’s life was senselessly taken. While the officer was responding to a domestic dispute call, he was shot and killed. My heart aches for the family of the slain officer, and for the families of all those who serve and protect our nation. Each time one of our officers in blue is shot, more fear finds way into the hearts of families who anxiously wait for their loved ones to return home at the conclusion of each shift. Grief cannot help but grip our hearts at the brokenness of humanity. When a hero falls, it is indeed a time to grieve. However, we must still dare to hope. Even in the darkness, light finds way to shine. The faithful love of the Lord does not end, and His mercies never cease. Though there were children holed up in the hiding place with the shooter, other officers were able to safely remove them from the scene. Despite the devastation of the situation, there were innocent lives that were spared that could have been lost. May we remember those who have been lost, yet continue to hold hope in the One who loves without limits and is merciful forever.

 

Let us not forget,

Those who serve us well;

With honor, protect,

As crime they dispel.

For far too often,

Lives of these are lost;

As they seek to serve,

The ultimate cost.

May we remember,

Those who serve in blue;

Let mercy and hope,

Surround and renew.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that even in times of grief, You are our hope. Thank You that Your faithful love never ends and Your mercies continue forever. Forgive us for losing sight of these truths in the throes of devastation and heartache. Teach us to trust in You more, so that we would cling to You regardless of what is happening around us. Show us how to love those around us, particularly officers and families of officers in light of recent events. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we hope in You in all things and at all times. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence. – Acts 2:28

 

Unfettered Forgiveness

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” – (Matthew 18:21:22)

 

During that time, rabbis taught the people that they ought to forgive others three times. So when Peter suggested seven times, he likely thought the “perfect” number was more than sufficient. However, Jesus did not concur. Seventy-seven times or seventy times seven, (depending on which verse we read) is a matter not of actual numbers, but rather of a number so high that a person would not actually keep a record of faults and foibles forgiven.

 

This is not necessarily an easy task, and often, the repeated steps of forgiving occur for one single action. There are times when we have to forgive again and again for one isolated incident. On Saturday, I wrote of a childhood friend who lost her seventeen-year-old son in a tragic car accident. He was doing nothing wrong, yet was t-boned by a speeding, and possibly intoxicated driver, at 7:00am. Not once since that tragic day, have I seen a single statement by her that has condemned the other driver. However, I imagine that each time she pictures her sweet son, she has to stop and forgive the other driver, as she is left wondering why her son was taken so soon. She is a woman of unflappable faith, and I know it is only by His grace, that she is able to choose to forgive.

 

All of us have contributed to a comparable atrocity against Christ. Though He was without sin, He was killed for our sake, because of our sin. However, He chose to allow our actions that grieved the very heart of God, to be placed on Him, so that we could be forgiven. EVERY. SINGLE. SIN. As He willingly bore the cross, He declared, “It is finished,” so that we could be forgiven, and likewise we could go forth and forgive others.

 

Count not the times,

we have to forgive;

for Christ counts not,

forgiveness He gives.

Let His love lead,

when it’s hard to love;

He is our strength,

all grace from above.

Despite the deed,

the pain to our heart;

we must forgive,

and grant a fresh start.

Just as our sin,

was worn on that cross;

we must let go,

trust God with each loss.

All in His hands,

be it large or small;

help to forgive,

He’s covered it all.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You forgive us for all of our sin, the moment we come to You and confess. Thank You that You do not hold things over our heads, but rather once You have forgiven, You have chosen to forget and let it go. Thank You that as we come to You and seek You, You help us find forgiveness, even in the face of great adversity, grief, and anger. Forgive us for our unforgiveness, and make us acutely aware of things that we are holding that need be released. Help us to forgive as we have been forgiven by You. May we be gracious and kind, abounding in Your love. Let others see Your goodness and grace in us, and may that be what draws them unto a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified as we extend Your forgiveness and grace to those who grieve our hearts. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present.

Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. – I Corinthians 3:5

 

 

Eternal Treasure

Fear can create all kinds of crazy. Herod, who was the king of the Jews, upon hearing of the birth of Jesus, (whom he also heard was born to be King), sought his whereabouts so he could put a stop to the possibility of losing his throne. When Herod’s spies did not return to inform him of Jesus’ whereabouts, he ordered that all of the baby boys in that region be killed. God told Joseph, (Jesus’ earthly father) in a dream to leave at once, so they did, escaping safely into Egypt. (Read Matthew 2)

Ironically, Jesus had not come to take Herod’s earthly throne, but rather longed to be the ruler of his life. Jesus came to give life, not take it away. Today, people often have the same hesitations about entering a relationship with Christ. They fear that all that is dear to them will be taken away, when in reality, they will be given that which has eternal value – real freedom, peace and joy. In Christ, we have hope for all of eternity, not just passing pleasure for today. Yes, we may be asked to give up temporal “treasures” that can cause us harm, but the benefits and blessings found in our Father’s favor, far outweigh these earthly things.

Freedom is found,

when fear is released;

joy will abound,

as faith is increased.

Let our delight,

be found in the Lord;

treasures so trite,

not ours to afford.

Give all to God,

and soon we shall find;

what is a fraud,

and what is Divine.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to show us the way to live faithfully before You. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, who equips and empowers us to do so. Thank You Jesus, for taking our sins to the cross, so that we no longer need to carry them, nor fear the consequence we deserve. Forgive us for our failure to choose wisely, and help us to entirely embrace all that You have given, with all that we are, so that we might give You our whole lives in return. May we live and love as You love us, and may many come to know the true freedom that is found only through faith in You. Let our every treasure be in that which is eternal. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present.