Good Friday
OPENING PRAYER:
Jesus, open our hearts and minds to hear from you today.
' “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” ' John 13:34-35 NIV
REFLECT:
We call today “Good Friday”, but that’s always seemed like a strange name for it to me. Today is the day that Jesus was crucified. Why do we call that “good”?
While we mourn the death of Jesus, we also can look at it and call it “good” because it’s what saved us!
You might not think that things are “good” right now. Everything is a little different, some things might seem better, but some things might still seem really hard right now.
We can mourn the loss of things that spur grief in our minds and hearts, but it is important to remember that Jesus wants to redeem every part of our lives, even the ones that seem hard and sometimes uncertain and scary. Where is he showing you the “good” in your life?
APPLY:
What does Easter Sunday mean for today and every day going forward? We spend that day celebrating Jesus’s resurrection, but we can spend EVERY day celebrating and honoring him too!
Just before his death, Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment:
“I give you a new command: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
One of the best ways to honor Jesus and his sacrifice is to love each other well. This means loving our neighbors --- and our neighbors aren’t just the people that live next door. Our neighbors are everyone in the whole world and scripture tells us that they will know that we are Jesus’s disciples, because we have love for one another!
What can you do to show love for your neighbor today?
CLOSING PRAYER:
Jesus, let us follow your example – the example of the one who lived his earthly life with no agenda but love for the world --- for us. Help us love each other the same way.
WORSHIP: