04/03/2026
Today on Good Friday, I’m intentionally slowing down…
Opening my Bible and reading the crucifixion story through each Gospel—Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 19.
The same moment, told from different voices, yet all pointing to the same truth: a love so deep it chose the cross.
It’s easy to rush past this part of the story to get to Sunday… but today is meant to be felt.
The betrayal.
The suffering.
The silence.
The mercy.
Jesus, fully innocent, endured rejection, mockery, and unimaginable pain… and still chose forgiveness:
“Father, forgive them…”
He carried the weight of sin, not just for the world—but personally, for me. For you.
And then those final words:
“It is finished.”
Not a statement of defeat… but of completion. Of fulfillment. Of victory that didn’t look like victory in the moment.
Today I’m sitting in that tension—grief and gratitude intertwined.
My favorite is the thief on the cross: only mentioned in Luke.
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
No long prayer. No perfect past, no baptism. No time left to make things right.
Just a surrendered heart.
And Jesus’ response?
“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
This moment is everything.
It reminds us that grace is not earned—it’s received. That even in our final breath, Jesus meets us with mercy. That no one is too far gone, no story too broken, no past too heavy for redemption.
Remembering that the cross wasn’t the end of the story, but it was the price of redemption.
So I pause. I reflect. I give thanks.
Because of the cross, we have hope.
Because of the cross, we are forgiven.
Because of the cross, love wins. ✝️
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