Good Friday

Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins; upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; but the LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all.

Jesus came into this world to make amends between us and God. We could not do that ourselves because our sins are measured by the one offended and God is infinite. As such, no matter how small our sin, we give immeasurable offense to the person of God. This is why only Jesus can save us from the punishment that is rightfully ours to bear. This is because just as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are infinite, so too is Jesus and his sacrifice for us. Only Christ could take upon himself all our guilt and cleanse us of our sins. We would do well to remember the sufferings he endured for us and seek to imitate Jesus’ willingness to become a living sacrifice for others. To forgive those who trespass against us, to love our enemies as well as our friends, and to pour out our lives for the salvation of souls.

Do we meditate upon the life, passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus? Are we willing to amend our lives so that we do not add to the sufferings of Christ? How can we imitate Jesus in the way we treat those who sin against us?

O Lord, we are sorry for crushing you with our sins and grateful for your forgiveness of our offenses.

Amen.