"Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"

Forgive me for having not posted for such a long time; work has slowly devoured my time and energy to blog.

Just had some thoughts about Good Friday.

While the secular world knows about easter eggs and feasting on a good friday, some of us come before the Lord in mourning.

This was the day, 2000 years ago, when Jesus Christ of Nazareth was put to death for a crime he did not commit.

The same group of ppl who hailed him "Hossanah!", turned against him and yelled out "Crucify Him!"

He healed. He drove demons out of many. He did acts of miracles. He taught many useful lessons in life. He didn't do anything wrong. But everyone wanted his blood, poured out from his body.

To think that he was betrayed by an act of friendliness. A kiss from Judas Ischariot.

Was it Pontius Pilate's fault? Pilate wanted a peaceful rule before he was able to return to Rome. Faced with Jesus, whom he deemed as a threat, what was he to do? He made the ominous mistake of handing him over to the Jews, in order to appease the Jews.

He had the power at his disposal. To free himself from the cross. But he didn't.

He had the power, to strike down those who wanted him to die. And he didn't.

Instead, he prayed for them. And submitted humbly to God's will.

"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

It is our sin that held him there, yet it is his love for us that kept him there.
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Dear Lord Heavenly Father, we praise You and give thanks for sending Your One and Only Son Jesus Christ to die for us. For it is in His death that we are awakened that we who are enslaved by sin deserved to die, but You sent Him to die on our place. We can never thank You enough for this precious gift of love and grace.

Father as we grow in our walk with you, we come across situations where we are often misunderstood, shamed, and blamed for the things we did not do. Father, help us to forgive them, as You have forgiven us for our transgressions against You. Give us grace and strength that we may forgive them too, and be able to stand against such unfairness. For the Lord knows it all, he searches our hearts; what we did right is not always visible to man, but is always visible to God. Even though we may often to unappreciated for things we do, we pray that You will comfort us in knowing that the Lord knows the love that we show to others.

"Because we know that everything is possible for you. Yet not i will, but what you will."

All these i pray in the name of our precious Lord Jesus, Amen.