The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
Psalm 118:6
Jesus had told the disciples quite a few times that the He was going to go to Jerusalem where He was going to be betrayed to the religious leaders, be mocked, scourged, and crucified. Mark 10:34 says that the disciples "understood none of these things." In the Garden of Gethsemane He had told them that His soul was exceedingly sorrowful even to death. They couldn't even stay up and pray with Him. While He was there, He pleaded with His Father to see if there was any other way, but in the end He surrendered His will and was obedient to the point of death.
After He faced the agony of His betrayed, all the disciples forsook Him and fled. Jesus was alone. He was alone while He faced two trials before the religious leaders. He was alone while they put a blindfold on Him and punched in His face saying, "Prophecy to us--who hit you?" He was alone when they took Him to the Romans and shouted out for Him to be "done away with" and "Crucify Him!" He was alone as they continued to beat on Him and put a crown of thorns on His head and knelt in mockery saying "Hail, King of the Jews!" He was alone as the stripped Him of His dignity, tied him to a log, and scoured Him half to death. He was alone as they nailed Him to the cross and He paid the price for our sins. He became sin for us. He even cried out to His Father, "My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?"
Alone, suffering, and in agony, He continued to love. It was His love for us that led Him to the cross. It was His love that allowed Him to continue to share the truth of who He was with the religious leaders--truth that they called blasphemy. It was His love for us that held Him on the cross and allowed Him to minister to His mother, the Roman guards, and the two thieves that were crucified with Him. He never stopped loving--ever.
And He will never ever stop loving us! He doesn't love our sin. That is why He died--to pay the price for our sin. But He loves us so much. There is no greater demonstration of love than a man should lay down His life for His friends. And there is no greater demonstration of God's love for us in that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life--and that is what Good Friday is all about.
Blessings to you!
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