Good Friday

So I have always wrestled with why we call it "Good Friday"....I mean....with all things considered, I would think we should call it "Horrific-Inconceivably Evil-Endless Sorrow Friday" no?

While I laid in bed last night....I started to pray...I felt this overwhelming sadness come over me. I was thinking about how on this night (I might be completely OFF on specific days....but bear with me, I still get the most out of reading my children's Bible)....Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane in probably one of the deepest hours of His life. I actually started to cry as my heart was so heavy just thinking about it all. I felt overwhelmed and also felt the need to apologize and ask forgiveness for the wicked men for some reason....

So not sure if God sent some angels with flash cards or something to explain it more to me while I slept....but when I woke up this morning....I felt a new sense of understanding. I realized that it is good because Jesus accomplished what He came to do, to reconcile us back to God. It is good because had Jesus not suffered and died, we would not have been saved by His resurrection.....so even though it was the most horrible day in our Savior's life....what was meant for "bad" ultimately became "good"....."GREAT". I mean of course I knew all of this when knowing the whole story of His death and resurrection......but last night it just troubled me more than normal. I love it how God cares about every little detail with me and is always there to comfort, counsel and teach.



I wanted to share our Resurrection Eggs with you......I shared the story with our homeschooling group yesterday and went through it again with my kids last night. I plan on doing it again with the whole family on Easter morning too.One thing that I absolutely couldn't have planned any better....check out the egg carton I grabbed to store them in.....We participate in Angel Food Ministries (great resources btw, check to see if you a distribution center in your area)......and this carton came from our last "box" we bought.
I thought that was pretty cool!

OK, so here you go.....

Egg 1 (A small Communion cup)
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and
prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken
from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39)

Egg 2 (Three dimes)
Then one of the Twelve-the one called Judas Iscariot-went to
the chief priests and asked, "What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty
silver coins. (Matthew 26:14-15)

Egg 3 (Pieces of twine with knots)
Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the
people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. They
bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the
governor. (Matthew 27:1-2)

Egg 4 (A piece of soap)
When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead
an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in
front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he
said. "It is your responsibility!" (Matthew 27:24)

Egg 5 (A square of red fabric)
They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then
twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They
put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and
mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on
him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and
again. (Matthew 27:28-30)

Egg 6 (A cross made from toothpicks , we used a cross instead)
After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his
own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named
Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. (Matthew
27:31-32)

Egg 7 (Two dice)
When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by
casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him
there. (Matthew 27:35-36)

Egg 8 (Pieces of crushed rock or pebbles)
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave
up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was
torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks
split. When the centurion and those with him who were
guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened,
they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of
God!" (Matthew 27:50-51, 54)

Egg 9 (Strip of white cloth)
Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered
that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a
clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he
had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the
entrance to the tomb and went away. (Matthew 27:58-60)

Egg 10 (A stone)
"Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as
secure as you know how." So they went and made the tomb
secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
(Matthew 27:65-66)

Egg 11 (A bay leaf or cinnamon stick)
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the
mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might
go to anoint Jesus' body. (Mark 16:1)

Egg 12 (Leave empty)
He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the
place where he lay. (Matthew 28:6)

I encourage you to share the real message of Easter with your children, family and friends.....Christ's victory over sin and death.

I'd like to leave you with this great video, set to one of my favorite songs.....Chris Tomlin's Jesus Messiah. (don't forget to pause my music player)

Enjoy and Happy Easter!!!!!!!!!