Good Friday is a profound display of love and sacrifice, featuring God’s mercy and grace. We are so grateful to our Lord and Savior. Everything in life comes down to this. Pray about who you could invite to Good Friday or Easter service. Take the relationship risk and watch God change a life. We’re going to see so many people come who don’t know Jesus, and they really are open. So, what a special time to love our neighbor and invite them in.
What is Faith Filter? We take what’s on our minds, what’s percolating in our hearts, and what’s happening in the world… and put it through the filter of our faith… everything we believe and what God Word says about it!
Guest: Pastor Jesse from Grace Community Church in Auburn/ Host of The Bonfire podcast on Purposely, AND author of the brand new book, The Power Of The Second Thought, How To Live With Indestructible Hope!
Do you have a question about faith that you’d love Pastor Jesse and Erica to talk about on the radio? Connect with Erica at Mornings@SPIRIT1053.com!
Need Prayer? Leave your requests here.
TRANSCRIPTION:
Erica:
This week we remember the greatest love story ever told and reflect on how it’s true, and you and I are part of it. Welcome to Faith Filter. I’m Erica with Pastor Jesse from Grace Community Church in Auburn, Washington. He’s also the host of the dynamic Podcast, Bonfire, on Purposely.
Pastor Jesse. Every year I find Good Friday even more meaningful than Easter Sunday, because it’s a chance for me to pause and reflect on how loved I am, how loved we all are, that Jesus would give His life on a cross. We are part of this story.
Pastor Jesse:
It is the greatest love story. It’s also the greatest sacrifice. It’s God’s mercy and grace, and it’s a demonstration. I mean, when you read the Bible, you’re learning so much, and sometimes we want to fill our minds. But when you think about what Jesus did on the cross, it not only fills our minds, but our hearts and our souls. And it’s a reminder of what true love is. True love includes sacrifice, it includes commitment, and it includes action. And we live in a world right now that thinks love is about feelings. And also we’re in a world right now that’s so “me” centered, and this is the exact opposite. Nothing has ever been done that’s more loving and more unselfish. And the more we draw close to Jesus, the more Jesus transforms us. And what happened on the cross, the ripple effects continue every day in our lives, where we live, work, learn, or play. And it’s a paradox. And the longer I walk with God, I see that throughout the Bible you see a paradox. And how can Good Friday be good? And in the one sense, it really isn’t good. I mean murder isn’t good. A sinless Savior being mocked and beaten and spit on this is not good. And yet what it accomplished, is completely good because Jesus died in our place. Our sins are paid for, the work is finished. The wrath of God is completed, Father satisfied, and we have no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. So, it’s a lot to take in. I know in a short segment we can look at it from a lot of different angles, but you’re so right. There’s no love story like this love story, and the greatest love stories in movies, in books… It’s just a shadow of the true love story that happened on the cross.
Erica:
Amen. What is something we can do, Pastor Jesse, on Good Friday to really just reflect, to sink down into the sadness? I mean, it is very, very sad what Jesus did. It’s beautiful and sad and wonderful and amazing. It’s everything, honestly. But how do we remember him on that day?
Pastor Jesse:
It’s important to slow down, Erica. It’s one of those days… It’s just different than the other days of the year. We have a Good Friday service, I know many churches do, you could venture in to a church, maybe you don’t even know anyone, but you’re going to draw near to Jesus. And that time of being gathered with other people who are coming in raw emotion, in awe, in reverence, in hunger to be just close to God during this meaningful time. I encourage you to take communion. You could even do that with your family or at your church or in your Bible study. I encourage you to have silence. Read the passages from Gethsemane where Jesus is pouring out his heart to the Father, and willing to drink the cup of suffering, to on the cross, to what happened with the three on the cross together, the two thieves to his right and his left. And share the story with your kids. Talk about the thieves on the cross. Talk about the three crosses. Talk about Jesus’s statements on the cross. What does it mean when Jesus says “It is finished”? What has he accomplished? And that curtain is torn in the temple from top to bottom, not from bottom up, not human effort. But Jesus has removed the barriers between us and the Father. We are invited to the throne of grace. There’s so many powerful elements, and to the couple with people you love and be intentional on your schedule to block it out and take that silence. Let it produce a gratitude, and again, that fear of God, that reverence. Receive the grace of God because the grace of God is the story of Good Friday. And then always remember it’s half the story. So, as solemn as it is on Friday, and as grateful as we are, continue then to celebrate on Sunday with all your heart. Enter in this important important weekend. All of human history is changed by what happened on this weekend. It’s the core, it’s the crux of our faith. And don’t take it lightly. Don’t be distracted. Put away your phone if you need to, and make it about Jesus and do it with people you love.
Erica:
That’s wonderful. I just feel so thankful for Jesus, especially this coming week. Pastor Jesse, God bless you. Thank you for your time.
Pastor Jesse:
Erica, I’ll tell you, it’s also the greatest opportunity to invite someone. So, if you’re not already doing this, pray about who you could invite to Good Friday or Easter service. Take the relationship risk and watch God change the life. We’re going to see So many people come who don’t know Jesus, and they really are open. So, what a special time to love our neighbor and invite them in.
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