Word for the day “From Good Friday to Resurrection Sunday”

Luke 23:23-25 (MSG) But they kept at it, a shouting mob, demanding that he be crucified. And finally, they shouted him down. Pilate caved in and gave them what they wanted. He released the man thrown in prison for rioting and murder and gave them Jesus to do whatever they wanted.

Beloved leaders,

It’s been my observation; we have now become a culture of quick fixes and instant gratification. We often embrace a quick fix mentally for our tough times. While I understand the quick and instant gratification theory. I’ve also discovered it’s not practical or pragmatic for sustainability.

Got a few aches and pains? Quick fix. None of us like to suffer, either physical or emotional pain. We don’t want to hurt. We embrace and desire our lives to be pain-free, and when it’s not, we resort to medication or other quick fixes to relieve our situation.

I believe today’s message on Holy Friday, known as Good Friday, can provide some interesting considerations.

 OFTENTIMES, IT’S NECESSARY TO WORK THROUGH LIFE’S SUFFERING IN ORDER TO EXPERIENCE A PLACE OF WHOLENESS.

Emotional health is not always about easing the symptoms but can also be about learning how to work through the problems that helped create those symptoms.

And that can mean literally passing through the valley of the shadows in our lives. We hear something of that same wisdom in the words of Jesus:

“Truly I tell you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24).

 MAKING SENSE OF THE RESURRECTION SEASON IS VITAL TO YOUR SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT.

Perhaps this is a significant part of what this season of Resurrection (Easter) is all about.

 Out of the pain and suffering on Good Friday afternoon, awaits an amazing new life on Resurrection morning. What seems for all the world like death, emptiness, and meaninglessness, something new can and does emerge.

Indeed, were it not for the pain and suffering of the Good Friday event (Luke 23:44), we would not have Resurrection Sunday morning.

The notion that we would simply go from Holy Thursday to Resurrection Sunday without passing through Good Friday omits some vital leadership and life development.

We have all experienced those Good Friday times in our lives. Certainly, we’ve known the reality of depression when it feels like we have nothing to live for, no hope, or future.

Or maybe we’ve experienced that Good Friday while in the depths of our grief when it feels like we’ll never know joy or laughter again.

Or maybe our Good Friday comes in the form of crippling anxiety, a worry that simply won’t go away, a fear that we can’t quite put our finger on and from which we can find no relief.

However, for sure, we’ve known it; Good Friday is a familiar place for many of us. And what do we do when we find ourselves there?

 Look for the quick fix, or work our way through the pain, through that valley of the shadows of death, into a new life.

 The empowerment for all of us is while we may pass through those Good Friday times, we don’t have to remain there.

We can and do emerge into our own Resurrection mornings. No matter how great the pain or how deep the despair, one of the few constants in our lives is change and transformation.

 The challenge for us comes in learning the lessons of our experience.

 LEADERSHIP INSIGHT:

It’s not always easy, but it is possible. Can anything good come from depression, anxiety, or grief, or trauma?

It may not seem so when we’re caught in our Good Friday worlds. Sisters and brothers, I assure you by the power of the Holy Spirit, Resurrection Sunday morning, as has been left on record (John 20:1), can and does happen for the child of God!

Because He lives, we can face tomorrow!

Special thanks!

Chief Encouragement Officer (CEO) James Baker, Jr. and our leadership team are especially thankful for those of you who provided financial donations and support in April 2023, by partnering with us in efforts to advance the kingdom of God in this 21st century season: Special thanks to Ms. Annette Straker, Mr. Kenneth Washington, Ms. Itholear Abbott,  Mrs. Barbara Mason, Mr. Brent Mason, Ms. Jeanette Grant,  Ms. Shawna Chester, Ms. Angela Battle, Ms. Cynthia Artis-Waiters, Ms. Michelle Winder Branch, Mr. William Buchanan Ms. Angie Scraders-Murphy, Mr. Calvin Jackson,  Mr. William Jones, Ms. Jennifer Sanchez, Mr. William Wilson, Ms. Ollie Tipton,  Pastor Raymond and Ranghill Philip, Ms. Mable Bazemore, Mr. Calvin Griffith, and, Ms. Gertrude Scott.

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Kingdom Blessings,