The story of the week of Jesus’ death on Good Friday is the most purpose-in-the-pain filled story of all time.
All in one night, we see instances of betrayal, unfaithfulness, loneliness, distrust, the marking of a reputation, and what seems to be the absence of God altogether. We see a Man who is loved and honored and respected, completely abandoned by His best friends and an entire people group.
He brought people back from the dead, healed the lame, made the blind see, showed us the heart of God—and yet, in a day, all that He was ever known for is forgotten.
His best friend, who said he would always love Him, turns and forgets Him, acts like he never knew Him.
He’s sold out by someone who spent every day by His side.
He is tried unfairly, and the people choose to even set a murderer free, just to watch Jesus die.
No one fights for Him. No one is loyal. No one remembers His goodness.
And He dies the most brutal death in our history.
At the end of it all, it looks like even His father, His God, has abandoned Him.
But if one of His friends had not betrayed Him, He would never have been arrested. If anyone had fought for Him, vouched for Him, then He wouldn’t have been led to the cross. If God had answered His prayer in the garden or sent angels to pull Him down from the cross, then He would have never died…
…and He would have never risen. Never defeated death. Never overcome fear. Never become our hope. Never bridged the gap between us and heaven.
I don’t know where you are today. I don’t know where you’ll be by the end of this day or this week, this month, this year.
But the darkest, most painful story of loss, defeat, and death was, in the same breath, the most purpose-filled victory.
So open your eyes wide: there’s goodness in all of it. And victory is coming with the morning.
