Good Friday, April
19, 2019 NOTES NOT EDITED
Hopes Dashed!
Hopes Dashed!
John 20:19; 2Cor. 5:21
SIS—The death of Jesus did not dash our hopes, but gives our lives a dash
of righteousness.
We have all heard the phrase, “Their hopes were dashed.” This is a common expression describing a time when someone was pursuing a dream or quest with great hope, and in an unfortunate turn of events, that quest was crushed bringing disappointment, disillusionment, and even despair.
This happened to the disciples of Jesus Christ. They were on top of the world for three years as they traveled with Jesus. They watched Jesus heal the sick, cast out demons, and even raise people from the dead. They heard Jesus speak marvelous words of encouragement that nobody had ever heard a man speak before. They recognized that Jesus was the Messiah, the long awaited “hope for the nation of Israel, and indeed, all peoples.” As they traveled with Jesus, they were on “cloud nine” as the saying goes.
All there hopes were dashed in that moment when Jesus was arrested, tormented, whipped, and then cruelly crucified on a Roman cross while the crowd cheered.
So crushed were they that they retreated in fear for their own lives. We read in John 20:19
19 In the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because of their fear of the Jews.
We have all heard the phrase, “Their hopes were dashed.” This is a common expression describing a time when someone was pursuing a dream or quest with great hope, and in an unfortunate turn of events, that quest was crushed bringing disappointment, disillusionment, and even despair.
This happened to the disciples of Jesus Christ. They were on top of the world for three years as they traveled with Jesus. They watched Jesus heal the sick, cast out demons, and even raise people from the dead. They heard Jesus speak marvelous words of encouragement that nobody had ever heard a man speak before. They recognized that Jesus was the Messiah, the long awaited “hope for the nation of Israel, and indeed, all peoples.” As they traveled with Jesus, they were on “cloud nine” as the saying goes.
All there hopes were dashed in that moment when Jesus was arrested, tormented, whipped, and then cruelly crucified on a Roman cross while the crowd cheered.
So crushed were they that they retreated in fear for their own lives. We read in John 20:19
19 In the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because of their fear of the Jews.
This is what it means to have
your hopes dashed—your plans crushed under the weight of unforeseen and
unbearable circumstances. A black
despair set into their lives as black as the sky on that moment when Jesus
cried from cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me.”
Jesus felt the forsakenness of the God-Man bearing the weight of the world’s sin on His broken body. With His last breath before giving up His spirit, Jesus made a final plea to God, “Into Your hands, Father, I commit my spirit.” In that moment, all the hopes of the disciples melted away like a snowflake falling on hot asphalt. The disciples’ hopes were clearly dashed. It was, for them, a very Black Friday!
But, today we celebrate this once, “black Friday,” as “Good Friday.” We know, because we look back with historical hindsight, that the death of Jesus did not “dash” our hope, but in fact, put a “dash” of righteousness in our lives. The Bible says, (2Cor. 5:21)
21 He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Whether we see the crucifixion as a “Black Friday” or a “Good” Friday, all comes down to how we look at the “dash” that will one day mark where our body is buried.
We have all seen a tombstone, or at least a picture of a tombstone. Along with our name, there is always the line that includes three parts: the date of our birth, the date of our death, and a “dash” that separates the two.
It is that “dash” that makes all the difference in eternity. What did we do with that “dash” of life between the date of our birth and the date of our death. That dash represents every thought and deed from the moment of our entrance into this life to the time of our exit.
It represents all the joys. It represents all the pains. It represents all the relationships we had. It represents every victory, and every defeat. The dash represents our educational accomplishments. The dash represents the honors and awards we have achieved in life. The dash represents the titles we attained: doctor, lawyer, teacher or plumber, dad or mom, sister or brother. The “dash” is the sum total of every thought and deed between the moment of our entrance into this life until our final exit in death.
All of eternity rests on one single choice that we make during the “dash” in our life. In eternity it won’t matter what job we chose, what university we graduated, what honors we achieved, or how well we invested our money. Whether we look at this day as “Black Friday of Death,” or “Good Friday of Life,” depends upon one—and only one choice we make during the “dash” of life.
Did we surrender to Jesus Christ as the Lord of Our Lives so that He would become the Savior of our souls? Of all that the “dash” represents on our tombstone, only that one single choice determines our eternal destiny.
It is Christ’s death on the cross that Friday so long ago that makes it a “Good Friday.” Christ’s death did not “dash” our hopes for eternity—far from it—Christ’s death adds the “dash” of righteousness that brings us eternal life. As we read earlier, (2Cor. 5:21)
21 He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
When the “dash” becomes a cross, we have hope not only for this life, but for all eternity. This is “Good Friday” because a very bad day in the life of our Lord provides a very good eternity for any of us that will surrender to Him as Lord. It is the “Cross” that makes all the difference in that time between our birth and our death.
My Mom was a tremendous cook, as was her mother. I never saw her read a recipe card or open a cook book. My Mom cook by adding a “dash of this or a dash of that.” It was the “dash that Mom” added that made things taste so wonderful.
Let Jesus add a “dash” of righteousness to your life and you will have hope for all eternity.
That’s what makes this Friday, “Good Friday.”
VIDEO: It’s Friday, but Sunday’s Coming!
Jesus felt the forsakenness of the God-Man bearing the weight of the world’s sin on His broken body. With His last breath before giving up His spirit, Jesus made a final plea to God, “Into Your hands, Father, I commit my spirit.” In that moment, all the hopes of the disciples melted away like a snowflake falling on hot asphalt. The disciples’ hopes were clearly dashed. It was, for them, a very Black Friday!
But, today we celebrate this once, “black Friday,” as “Good Friday.” We know, because we look back with historical hindsight, that the death of Jesus did not “dash” our hope, but in fact, put a “dash” of righteousness in our lives. The Bible says, (2Cor. 5:21)
21 He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Whether we see the crucifixion as a “Black Friday” or a “Good” Friday, all comes down to how we look at the “dash” that will one day mark where our body is buried.
We have all seen a tombstone, or at least a picture of a tombstone. Along with our name, there is always the line that includes three parts: the date of our birth, the date of our death, and a “dash” that separates the two.
It is that “dash” that makes all the difference in eternity. What did we do with that “dash” of life between the date of our birth and the date of our death. That dash represents every thought and deed from the moment of our entrance into this life to the time of our exit.
It represents all the joys. It represents all the pains. It represents all the relationships we had. It represents every victory, and every defeat. The dash represents our educational accomplishments. The dash represents the honors and awards we have achieved in life. The dash represents the titles we attained: doctor, lawyer, teacher or plumber, dad or mom, sister or brother. The “dash” is the sum total of every thought and deed between the moment of our entrance into this life until our final exit in death.
All of eternity rests on one single choice that we make during the “dash” in our life. In eternity it won’t matter what job we chose, what university we graduated, what honors we achieved, or how well we invested our money. Whether we look at this day as “Black Friday of Death,” or “Good Friday of Life,” depends upon one—and only one choice we make during the “dash” of life.
Did we surrender to Jesus Christ as the Lord of Our Lives so that He would become the Savior of our souls? Of all that the “dash” represents on our tombstone, only that one single choice determines our eternal destiny.
It is Christ’s death on the cross that Friday so long ago that makes it a “Good Friday.” Christ’s death did not “dash” our hopes for eternity—far from it—Christ’s death adds the “dash” of righteousness that brings us eternal life. As we read earlier, (2Cor. 5:21)
21 He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
When the “dash” becomes a cross, we have hope not only for this life, but for all eternity. This is “Good Friday” because a very bad day in the life of our Lord provides a very good eternity for any of us that will surrender to Him as Lord. It is the “Cross” that makes all the difference in that time between our birth and our death.
My Mom was a tremendous cook, as was her mother. I never saw her read a recipe card or open a cook book. My Mom cook by adding a “dash of this or a dash of that.” It was the “dash that Mom” added that made things taste so wonderful.
Let Jesus add a “dash” of righteousness to your life and you will have hope for all eternity.
That’s what makes this Friday, “Good Friday.”
VIDEO: It’s Friday, but Sunday’s Coming!
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