by Grace Tung

Today is called “Good Friday.” When I was younger I didn’t understand why it was called good when Jesus died. I thought it should be called “Bad Friday.” Over the years, I’ve grown in my understanding of the gospel. I’ve also grown in my understanding of goodness, and the paradox of true good coming from bad.

I was blessed by this video earlier this week, and wanted to share it with all of you as we consider the cross of Jesus Christ.

I’m praying for each of us to experience the love and goodness of God through Good Friday Service today, and through the promise of Easter to come.

This artwork is one of many from my friend Grace Tung, from InterHigh.

When I was younger, I didn’t understand that this crowd crying out for Jesus to be crucified probably had many of the same people who gave Jesus a king’s welcome into Jerusalem earlier in the week on Palm Sunday.

I was challenged by this past Sunday’s Element MS message where I was asked to consider why I am following Jesus, and what my expectations of him are.

In John 19:15, from today’s DT chapters, the crowd cries out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!…We have no king but Caesar.”

I thought about how Caesar hasn’t been a great king to them. In fact he is the one oppressing their people and the source of their suffering, the very thing they wanted Jesus to save them from when they cried “Hosanna!”

I wondered if any of the people in the crowd actually thought about what they were shouting. Did they really mean it?

But then I saw how when it came down to it, the king they could see before them was less threatening than Jesus, the suffering, servant king they just could not understand. No matter how cruel a master chasing money, popularity, romance, or achievements is, it is something I can see, something I can understand, because it follows the ways of this world.

Reflecting upon the crowd’s response to Jesus, I was able to repent and reaffirm that Jesus is my one and only King, no matter what it might cost me now or in the future, because He paid the greatest price for my sin with his perfect, sinless life.

John 18:28-19:16 features Jesus’ conversations with Pilate. Even though we aren’t governors or officials with things like political power, authority or civil unrest to deal with, Pilate ends up being a character who is relatable.

Chris has some thoughts to share with us from today’s devotions:

Today we continue on in John 18:12-26. While Jesus is arrested and interrogated harshly, Peter remains outside. Although he had insisted to Jesus that he would follow him to the end no matter what, reality proves otherwise. Peter warms himself near a fire with others, and when different people ask him if he is one of Jesus’ followers, he denies Jesus, just as he had predicted.

Today we have a short video devotions from Kaitlyn, who focused on Jesus’ response to those who were interrogating and abusing him, while all of this was happening outside with Peter.

Our devotions this week are through the Passion accounts in the gospel of John. Today’s Bible passage is John 18:1-11, when Judas betrays Jesus. While Peter wants to put up a fight, we see Jesus does the exact opposite.

Our InterHigh ministry made special devotions, which feature artwork on the different characters, so you’ll find that beneath some thoughts from Rachel, one of the Element:

Today, I was hit with a new appreciation for Jesus. In v. 4, it says that “Jesus, knowing everything that was about to happen to him, went out and said to them, ‘Who is it that you’re seeking?’” and that He would “drink the cup the Father has given [him]” (v. 11). This cup would be the suffering of the cross He would take for us. Jesus knew how hard the coming days would be, being abandoned by his friends and experiencing so much pain, but He still decided to obey God. When God asks me to do something like love someone who ignores me or forgive someone who hurt me, I often have excuses like, "I don't want to" or "that's too hard." But Jesus didn't make those kinds of excuses, even though what He went through so much harder than anything God has ever asked me to do. Hebrews 12:4 says, "In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” I haven't struggled to the point where I started bleeding, like Jesus did. I know Jesus went through the same emotions and still chose to obey God, and I am challenged by His example, and thankful for his costly sacrifice.

Happy New Year!

As we start a new year, I'm excited to announce that there will be no more DT...packets, that is! :)

We'll be doing a slightly new format (It's a little bit like SOAP, but it's... ORCAP, or ORCA Pray...doesn't quite have the same ring, but perhaps we can make it work)

All you need for DT:

- Bible

- Notebook & Pen/Pencil

- The handy bookmark with the steps & questions for our new DT format (it's attached here, but you can get a fancy-schmancy shiny one next week!)

- List of Bible passages for the coming week

OAQs (Once Asked Question):

Q: I really liked the DT packets! Can I still find there somewhere?

A: Yes, you can.  If you would like to download a packet to supplement your study of the devotions texts each week, you can find them at the Gracepoint Devotions site.

I'm really excited for how we can all grow in our understanding of God and of ourselves through God's word this coming year!

p.s.  Also, just to let you know, our Gracepoint-wide key verse for 2012 is John 8:32: "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Link to DT Bookmark here

Check out the new Devotion Time schedule.  We're reading and answering reflection questions on a chapter of the New Testament each day from Monday-Thursday and reading a chunk of the Old Testament from Friday-Sunday.  The schedule will take you through the entire bible in 14 months!