A Good Day

We call this a good day.

Today is the day that we take special time to remember the reason for that baby in swaddling clothes.

That baby came for me.

For me he came and died. For me he came and suffered, dying the worst kind of death.

Yet. We call this a good day. 

But on that day, nothing was good.
      On that day...
           ...people put Jesus up for an unfair trial
           ...people "hurled insults" at Jesus
           ...people cast lots for Jesus' clothes
           ...people put nails into Jesus' flesh, in the most painful spots
           ...people stood by. And watched. 
           ...people killed Jesus. And it was the worst possible death.

Yet. We call this a good day.

But on that day, even the earth knew nothing good.
      On that day...
           ...the earth shook
           ...darkness covered the land
           ...the curtain in the temple ripped in half

Yet. We call this a good day.

For Jesus, it was the worst day. But it was the best day. For he got to do what he had come to do. But in order to do that, he had to suffer and die.

And so, Jesus endured the worst of days to create the best of days... and it is this juxtaposition that makes this day, for us, a good day!
     
And so my friends, live in the juxtaposition. Dwell in it. Dwell in the worst of days.

And when you've dwelt in the darkness of the worst of days long enough that you cannot dwell there any longer, dwell some more...

And then... dwell in the good part of the day. Dwell in the reason for the day. Dwell in the hope that we have, knowing what Sunday will bring. And it is in this hope that makes today a good day.