Friday

It doesn't seem right.

The sun is shining brightly on grass that is just starting to green up. Birds are singing in the trees. While the breeze is still a bit nippy, the air smells fresh and new.

This is the day we remember the horrific sacrifice made on our behalf, to pay our debt.

It's difficult to be somber on the first truly spring like day after an extended, difficult winter. But while this is a day off for many people, it's scarcely a "holiday". Self examination, rather than celebration, should be the response to the remembrance of Christ's sacrifice. Our sin, my sin, - past, present and most ashamedly future - paid for by the sinless Lamb of God. Incalculable grace and mercy rained down on the undeserving.

It doesn't seem right that the sky isn't weeping, that the day isn't gloomy and the wind piercing. Even after all this time, the weight of the remembrance of all that sin should surely cause all nature to break out in groaning, the earth even to give up its dead as it did that afternoon two thousand years ago.

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

Matthew 27:45 - 54