Good Friday or Sexta-Feira Santa

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EASTER SERVICES - Detroit Michigan, in Warren, Easter Sunday morning at
8:30 AM and 10 AM Rev. Christopher Ian Chenoweth invites everyone to hear
his uplifting Easter talk “Resurrecting Your Hope” - Renaissance Center
11200 E. Eleven Mile Rd.
Info 586-353-2300 Map on website.

GOOD FRIDAY

"And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had
twisted a crown of forms, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right
hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail,
King of the Jews!" Matthew 27: 27, 28, 29

Why do they call Good Friday “good” when it was the day that Jesus was
crucified? To all appearances it was the end. To all human senses the
worst of humankind seemed to be victorious…AND YET THERE WAS MORE! It was
just the darkness before the dawn – The dawn of awakened humanity.

Jesus Christ was tried before Pontius Pilate in the Roman praetorium
inside the Antonia Fortress. Here, Roman legions were garrisoned
overlooking the Temple of Jerusalem. This large pavement area has been
unearthed, consisting of huge limestone blocks, each weighing several
tons.

Archaeologists have discovered an interesting game dating back to the New
Testament. Etched into the stone pavement of the praetorium is a playing
board for game known among the Roman soldiers as "King for a Day." The
soldier who threw his dice on just the right shape won the game. His
reward was to be "King for a Day."

As King, the soldier was dressed in a beautiful purple robe imported from
the city of Colossae, where the special purple dye was extracted from
seashells. In addition to the robe, the "King" received a crown, scepter,
and anything else he wished, including wine, women, and song, but there
was one big catch. At the end of the day, the "King" was put to death.

This game sheds new light on the Romans mocking and scourging of Jesus.
They beat him, dressed him in a purple robe, gave him a crown of thorns,
and told him that he could make demands to save himself. By mocking Jesus,
the Roman and Herodian soldiers saw an opportunity to play the "King for a
Day" game in a perverse and twisted manner.

But Jesus was not an ordinary man; he was extraordinary.

Jesus rose as he said he would. Jesus was not confined to the tomb. Jesus
lives, and his teachings live, because of what happened on Easter weekend.

Many of us have Good Friday experiences in our own lives when we believe
all is lost. Then we look to God, and our lives are resurrected into
newness. There is new hope and new belief in tomorrow and new gladness to
be alive.

Many readers are going through your own personal resurrections. Some of
you have been fired. Some of you have gone through downsizing. Some people
reading this have lost trust in someone they trusted in so much. Some have
been facing divorce or the death of a loved one. Some of those reading
this no longer see their children and they feel a crucifixion every time
they think of their children. Some are having creditors beating down the
doors of their inner peace.

Most of you have gone through your own crucifixions in the past, and,
hopefully, you have discovered the good that the Good Friday truth brings
– that there is life after seeming death.

We are Easter people. We are defined more by our resurrections than our
crucifixions. I wish you a happy Good Friday in knowledge of a loving God
that is everywhere present, accessible, and available to you now. No
matter where you may be or what you may face.

God Bless You! Happy Easter!
Rev. Christopher Ian Chenoweth
_____________________________________

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