Cross Talk.

I don't know what it is about this year, whether it be the terribly saddening number of untimely and unnecessary deaths that have occurred around me this year or that fact that I've really been trying to get closer to the Lord before college, but this year Good Friday seemed to mean so much more to me than it did in the past. I spent yesterday sitting in the car for hours on end being able to really reflect on what Jesus did for me when he died on that cross some two thousand years ago. 

My youth pastor Wayne is pure awesome, and yesterday he real time posted Bible verses that coincided with the time that certain events actually happened on the original Good Friday. Social media has made such an impact on the ability for us to share the gospel with those around us. Being able to tell people at noon on Good Friday that "From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land" (Matthew 27:45) and then at three sharing that at "About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'My God, My God why have you forsaken me?'" (Matthew 27:46) puts a lot more things into perspective than just reading those verses at an evening service in my eyes.

Due to our road trip down to Florida and an unexpected stop at Urgent Care my family unfortunately missed the chance to attend a service last night (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter services have always been some of the most moving and memorable services that I've ever attended). But I think at services like that we don't get the whole picture of what happened. At Young Life camps some time toward the end of the weekend the speaker delivered what is called the "Cross Talk." They share with campers that because of all our sins and imperfection and the fact that Christ loved us so much and wanted us to never have to be separated from Him and His father that He endured the most painful and humiliating deaths so save us from that fate. This talk is almost always accompanied by a scene from The Passion of Christ or some other movie like it. I've seen the clip probably about 4 or 5 times now and it still gets me every time (I HIGHLY recommend watching at least the clip of the crucifixion - it will change your whole view). Watching an actual portrayal of what He went through for ME is terribly convicting and makes this day so much more humbling than ever before.

He did that for ME. I don't know of anyone, ANYONE who would willingly die like He did in order to make me clean and take away all my sins. Wow. Good Friday is the world's "Cross Talk" it's our reminder of how extremely blessed and loved we are and how that reward is entirely our for loving the Lord with all our hearts.

WE deserved to drink the cup of wrath, but on that night HE took it from us and drank it for us. HE saved us from eternal separation from our Heavenly Father.

xoxo,

Abby