We can Trust God is Good…Even on Days Like Good Friday When Things Don’t Look Good
Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey on the day we remember as Palm Sunday.
Mark 11:7-11
When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “HOSANNA!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “HOSANNA in the highest heaven!” 11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts.
Clearly the people are thrilled to have Jesus entering Jerusalem and fulfilling what their Jewish leaders have been prophecying for years. It is a grand celebration with appreciation being shown for the Messiah through anything they have available; palm branches, cloaks, etc. Can you imagine the excitement? FINALLY the Jews will be free from Roman tyranny!
Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. 11 As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit. 12 Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.
Only a few short days later, the SAME people shouting Hosanna would be shouting for the crucifixion of Jesus! It is shocking how a crowd could turn so quickly.
Matthew 27:22-26
“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” 23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” 24 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!” 25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
It is utterly unimaginable how a crowd could turn so dramatically in just a few short days from praising the Messiah to demanding his crucifixion. It seems like the ultimate example of our current “cancel culture” was occuring in a much more violent manner 2000 years ago than anything we are experiencing today. I am not comparing the trivialities of our daily life to the crucifixion of Christ. However, we should trust that when God can and did make the WORST day the first step of the BEST day in history, we should have no doubt that his plans are MUCH, MUCH bigger than ours. We are not being crucified. Nothing of our day compares with the horror of crucifixion.
Even though Jesus had explained to the disciples that he would rise from the dead three days later, they were more concerned with what position they would hold in Jesus’ Kingdom. All this talk of death and raising again seemed weird to them and they were too busy jockeying for their own rightful seat next to the new king.
They were completely blind-sided by the events that had occurred since Palm Sunday.
They had given up EVERYTHING they knew to follow Jesus. They believed that Jesus would be the king that their Jewish leaders had promised would finally set them free from the oppression of the Roman Empire. They trusted Jesus was the TRUE MESSIAH and now he was DEAD! The despair and fear the disciples must have been feeling is beyond anything we could probably imagine. They are gathered together in the upper room fearing that the Roman guard will come barging through the door at any moment, fearful that the Romans would be glad to wipe out any remnant of these Christ-followers who had caused so much disruption already. Were they fools in the ultimate charade? Had they believed a mad magician? What would become of them? Devastation, embarrassment, uncertainty, sorrow….the list of emotions could go on for a very long time.
Yet three days later would be THE GREATEST DAY IN HISTORY
The resurrection of Christ would fulfill the prophecies and be the one true redemption of all of our sins. What seemed like the worst day EVER for the disciples was actually the first step in the MOST INCREDIBLE DAY EVER. God can do above and beyond what we ever imagined. He can turn the worst into the best. He can overcome evil with good. In this day when uncertainty and evil seem so prevalent, we can rejoice that God will use it for good.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
This Easter I pray that you will remember what Jesus has done through the resurrection to redeem all of our sins. Let it also ever be a reminder of God’s overwhelming love for us and the unimaginable capabilities he has to turn trial into triumph. God is so, so good.
3 thoughts on “We can Trust God is Good…Even on Days Like Good Friday When Things Don’t Look Good”
You’re so welcome! Thank you for reading and commenting! God Bless!
I just read it again! Thank you for words of hope and wonder.
Amen!