Far too many in the church today want to tell you that following God will make you richer, skinnier, more powerful.
Good Friday grounds us in the truth that God does have a plan for your life; it’s just darker and dirtier than you’ve been told.
Over the last six weeks of the #LentChallenge, (download the free Gospel 40-day Reading Plan, here), we’ve journeyed through the story of Jesus through the lenses of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. You can download the cray-cray color method, PDFs, here.
Of all the accounts of Jesus’ final days, the Gospel of Mark arrested me. Even as I pushed forward in daily readings, I kept returning to the final chapters of Mark, basting myself in the final scenes of Jesus’ life.
Perhaps it’s because Mark writes as if he’s short of breath. Every. Word. Counts.
Perhaps it’s because Mark writes with such deep layers of meaning.
Perhaps it’s because Mark writes the words I least want to read but most need to hear.
Mark 14 opens with the chief priests and teachers of the law scheming. While they plot, Jesus reclines at a table appearing unaffected.
In this relaxed, La-Z-Boy posture, a woman approaches and shatters a jar, disturbing the entire room. She baptizes Jesus in the scent of sweet affection and wild generosity, an act of burial preparation few comprehend.
Then Jesus sends a pair of disciples to prepare for Passover.
Now look closer.
A woman sacrifices much with her alabaster.
A man sacrifices much giving up his upper room.
Jesus will sacrifice much for all.
All the while, God sacrifices His only Son so that neither you nor I have to live arms length from God.
Do you see the themes emerging?
Jesus soon gathers around another table, reclining again, with his friends. He takes, blesses, breaks, and gives to the disciples. Then the One who invites us to abide in Him promises not to sip of the fruitiness until he gulps it anew in the Kingdom of God.
Though the disciples respond in unison that they’ll never fall away, they’re picked off one-by-one. That’s when we discover the loneliest Scripture in entire Bible:
“Everyone deserted him and fled.” –Mark 14:50
Mark 15 picks back up on the scheming theme. The anti-Jesus numbers have mushroomed. The chief priests, elders, teachers of the law, and whole Sanhedrin are concocting big plans.
Those plans seem to be working.
Jesus. Bound. Accused. Interrogated. Beaten. Mocked. Pinned to a tree.
For six hours one Friday, Jesus crucified. What good can come of this?
Curtains rip. Women weep. Dead men walk. A Centurion converts. Darkness descends. No one can see clearly.
Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised; darkness and confusion often walk hand in hand.
The final days of Jesus’ life are marked by much preparation.
The religious leaders are preparing.
The woman is preparing.
The disciples are preparing.
Judas is preparing.
Jesus is preparing.
All the while, God is preparing the greatest caper of all time.
But remember, it’s not Sunday yet. It’s still Friday.
Most of us live our lives wanting Sunday apart from Friday. Sunday is joy and wonder and hope and resurrection. Friday is loss and pain and torture and death. Who wants that?
We quietly tell ourselves that God has a plan for our lives that doesn’t involve Friday.
If we just…
pray hard enough…
live holy enough…
give to others enough…
fill-in-the-blank enough..
then Friday might happen to others, but not us.
For millennia, we’ve been burrowing for routes under the cross, slinking for ways around the cross, and even developing schemes to climb over the cross. Some have even turned the cross into a jungle gym.
We want breakthrough without being broken.
We want strength without suffering.
We want power without paying a price.
Good Friday reminds us that while there are endless ways to skirt around the cross, there’s only one way through it.
Jesus beckons us to enter the cross, to walk through the crucible of affliction. The heart of those wooden beams transforms us by expanding our capacity for loving God and others.
Anyone can be a Sunday Christian. Today you’re challenged to become a Friday follower.
Will you take up your cross and follow him?
It has been a joy and a privilege to be part of the #LentChallenge with you. Can’t wait until next year.
What passage, verse, or word arrested you most during the #LentChallenge? Will you share in the comments below?
In John, chapter six, Jesus was asked what work was expected of us. His answer was only one thing: believe in Him. That is good news for a try-harder girl.
The disciples have the same response that I would – disbelief and even misunderstanding of the whole plan of Jesus sacrificing for us all. It’s been an amazing journey to see their faith waiver and also to see where they just choose to believe even when it doesn’t add up.
It’s all a wonder to me! I just don’t get how Jesus could perform the miracles He did and the Jewish people still didn’t believe- most of them still do not today. I know the Scripture said He has put a blinder over their eyes so they can’t see. I am grateful for His sacrifice for me
This….”The anti-Jesus numbers have mushroomed. The chief priests, elders, teachers of the law, and whole Sanhedrin are concocting big plans.
Those plans seem to be working.”
With so much of my life and in the life of many I love, it really seems clear that evil plans and conditions are working…but here’s the REAL TRUTH…and we see it at the cross…GOD’S PLANS ARE WORKING!!! On Friday and Saturday I must yield to the Sovereign One who sees the end from the beginning, who’s understanding is without limit and who always does good and TRUST that there is no plan that will prevail against Him…SO, I must fix my eyes on HIM and take up the cross fitted perfectly for His purposes in my life, for His glory (which is ALWAYS to my good). I MUST remember, what my eyes “see” when it “looks like ‘those’ plans are working”, is that God’s plans prevail and they are wonderous. So I’ll grab the confetti and celebrate that even the Friday’s are in His hands!!!
p.s. I will be going around from now on rehearsing “It only looks like “those” plans are working — but God’s really ARE!”
So enjoyed doing this #lentchallenge with you this year! Today’s was so very good and convicting. Happy Easter to you! He is risen! He is risen, indeed!
“So I’ll grab the confetti and celebrate that even the Friday’s are in His hands!!!”
AMEN, Debbie. He is risen!
Me too, Allison.
And that God still chose them, the unbelieving, waivering disciples to start the church, to spread the good news, to be his hands and feet. Humbled by that truth!
AMEN!
I joined in late in the #Lentchallenge, but grateful for doing so.. this particular post grabbed my heart..I don’t recall the scripture, “Everyone deserted him and fled.” –Mark 14:50 Somehow it must have been too hard to hear, too “Good Fridayish”. But to see it in light of Easter, hope abounds. How often have I felt deserted, that God fled? But He always returns breathing new life.
Our Easter could not be without our Good Fridays, with out Jesus being deserted, without the cross. Thank you. Blessed Good Friday, and Blessed Easter to you and your loved ones.
Great post, Margaret! Thank you for the timely (in more ways than Easter) reminder that Jesus called Friday Followers. And even if we’re willing (or think we are in theory), we seem to buy into the idea that life won’t be hard. Didn’t Jesus say “abundant life?” Abundance doesn’t only mean easy or good. This week I’ve been struck by my perspective that if I just do everything “right” life will work out, but look at Jesus. On Friday, things did not look good. And it did work out in the end, but not before horrific suffering.
Thank you for this post, Margaret. I needed the perspective you put on that passage! I haven’t been reading the Lent Challenge with you, but wish I would have. I had been struggling, especially this week, with hearing God’s voice, finding inspiration in His Word, understanding his plan for my life, wondering why…. I needed the reminder that before he rose, women wept, darkness descended, everyone deserted him….I love what you said about how darkness and confusion often go hand in hand! I needed the reminder that sometimes things can be unclear and difficult and that’s part of bearing the cross–being a Friday Follower! And that Sunday follows Friday! Happy Easter to you!
Margaret the verse that grabbed me most was also from Mark. Mark 10. The rich man desperately wants to know what to “do” to receive eternal life. He’s so proud of himself that he’s keep all the rules, he reminded me of the teachers pet (or myself – LOL). I’ve read this passage 100’s of times and missed that Jeaus doesn’t just jump right to the answer, I missed what happened right smack dab in the middle ok the rich man’s inquiry and Jesus’ constructive criticism. Jesus looked at the man and LOVED him…
I wrote more about it in my blog post “what must I do” http://www.songsofjoy.org