I woke up today, and it was totally quiet. I must have needed some extra sleep recovering from some nightmares last night and from crunching a week’s worth of work into three days. Before I opened my eyes, I began to wonder what time it was. I said to myself, “I really slept in. I’ll bet it’s about 8:39 a.m.” I walked over to the clock, and it was exactly 8:39 a.m. How crazy is that? But you all know how crazy I am. Then I realized it’s Black Friday, and I don’t have to go shopping. What a great day!
Today, I’m teaming up with God and my favorite artist, Matt Potosky, to imagine with you what it may have been like on the blackest Friday ever, the day when Jesus was crucified. For those who wept by Jesus at the cross, I imagine it felt like their world ended, a day of terror, like a black Friday forever cloud. For those who kept their distance to avoid persecution, I imagine they felt lost, abandoned, great sorrow, guilt, and shame. For those who were truly lost, those who yelled, “CRUCIFY HIM!”, were probably celebrating. They thought they won their greatest victory when they killed Jesus.
But then everything got totally black when they killed God’s Son. The curtain the in temple was torn in two. The earth shook. Rocks split apart. Tombs opened. Dead bodies resurrected. TOTAL CHAOS! As the anxious middle character in the above picture may have felt, “Where can I hide from the wrath of God?” You can’t hide from God’s wrath when you killed His Son. Except maybe in a tomb. There’s a place no one, not even God, would look for you there.
But then your hiding place got ruined. They laid Jesus’ dead body in the tomb, and they sealed it with a huge boulder. Now it’s totally black, and it doesn’t smell too good. You’re thinking, “I’m dead. I’m done. My sins and God finally caught up with me.”
Then you hear a strange Voice offering you a way out. Forgiveness. Forever. Your Hiding Place was the only true Hiding Place. The only way to safely hide from the wrath of the Almighty, Holy God is with Jesus. Only His blood covers the sin of humankind forever. Now you don’t have to hide, live in guilt, fear, or shame.
Jesus not only died for your sins, He rose from the grave. Your resurrected King is resurrecting you to new life. Abundant life. He’s forgiven you. When you confess your sin to Him, He washes it completely away. You’re brand new. You no longer have to walk under a cloud of darkness and doom. You no longer have to worry about what bad thing is going to happen next in your life. You can stretch out your arms and embrace every new moment God offers you because of His gift of sacrificial love. Because Jesus was crushed for our sin, we now have been set free! We are forgiven.
Leave your old, stinky grave clothes behind. Leave your dark hiding spots. Leave your addictive patterns and dependencies and cut-offs behind. Leave your fear-based, controlling ways behind. Leave your anger and resentment and negativity behind. Leave your past in your past where it belongs. They don’t work today. They suck the life right out of you and your relationships. Forgive yourself with the forgiveness Jesus offers that’s forever. Let’s walk together and discover a new freedom that only comes from following Jesus.
Friday is only black to those who are trying to get your money. They created this day to get you to buy what you don’t need so you feel good about spending your hard-earned money on what they’re selling you. Friday is also black to those who are lost in their sin. Friday is black to those who are still trying to buy their happiness by filling it with stuff. When you encounter those walking in darkness, love them into the light.