Good Friday For Us; Bad Friday For Jesus

Okay--so today is what traditionally is called "Good Friday." This evening at 7:00 our church will be hosting a Good Friday service of music and meditation but of course if you're listening to this in the evening time slot, you're obviously not planning to attend--at least not at Faith Evangelical Free Church.

"Good Friday" has always been an intriguing way to remember what was really a bad day in the life of Jesus. It was on that day that the Roman Leader Pontius Pilate wimped out washing his hands of Jesus' blood turning Him over to the rabble who wanted Him crucified. That too, is quite the interesting point on which to meditate.

I thought Jesus was the consummate "Nice Guy." I mean that is how He is ALWAYS portrayed in our contemporary culture of "Judge not lest ye be judged." How often do you hear the protests from people when the well studied Christian explains various teachings of the Bible and pronounces certain behaviors, activities, or lifestyles as perverse or immoral?

The classic protest is something along the lines of, "Jesus never judged anyone! Jesus loved everybody! God loves you just the way you are (which they then imply means that He loves everything about you.)

An honest reading of the life of Jesus sees Jesus getting infuriated and not only that one time in the Temple. For someone who loves everyone "just the way they are"--meaning everything about them--Jesus sure ripped on a lot of people.

"You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" Matthew 3:7

"For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness." Matthew 23:27

"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father."

John 8:44

"You hypocrites, you travel about on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves." Matthew 23:15

Sheesh, sounds pretty judgmental to me. No wonder He was crucified; pretty intolerant I'd say. So what gives? Well, you can find out this Sunday at 8:30 or 10:30. We're easy enough to find right on the main drag in Waterville across from Shaw's Plaza, but only if you're not already involved with a Bible believing faith community.