Happy Good Earth Friday

"I tell you the truth, A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. "Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father." john 16:20-29

My Family and I were talking the other day about why this day is called Good Friday when it was a day when Christ died a brutal death on a cross. This is awful and such a terrible thing to have happened to MY Savior. But that's just it, he died a terrible, painful death, for our GOOD. He said, "Your Grief will turn to Joy." He died so that we may have HOPE and LIFE and JOY in all things. Joy in this earth and Joy because we will have eternal life with him in Heaven. It overwhelms me. He died a terrible and said, "It is FINISHED." He finished, my sin, my shame, my selfishness and downright Humaness so that HE could be glorified and find Joy with his Father in heaven. And so we might believe in him and trust him and find a JOY unspeakable in HIM. AH... The Thought. It's too much, its too good. So Good Friday to you. May you experience the JOY of your Salvation through Jesus Christ today.
This is a cool video done by Jeremy Cowart and Derek Webb. Its a really cool perspective on the face of Christ and how we are all a part of that... check it out.