04/04/2026
Sunday is coming…
Jesus received 39 stripes because 40 was known to kill a man. They wanted Him alive. They held handfuls of His beard, and hair and pulled it out by the roots. They wanted Him alive. They kicked, punched, and spit on Him for hours. Until there wasn't a single spot on His body not covered in blood. They wanted Him alive.
They shoved a crown of thorns down on His head so harshly it stuck in His skin. They wanted Him alive. After hours of being beaten, mocked, whipped, flogged, and tortured they made Him walk with a cross. A rough piece of wood digging into His fresh wounds. They wanted Him alive.
They wanted Him to feel every ounce of pain they could bring. He had to feel it in order to heal us.
Most of us cannot mentally think of the crucifixion because the cruelty of it isn't normal. It isn't something our minds can comprehend. We celebrate Easter with pastel colors. Truth is, there was absolutely nothing happy about the day Jesus died. It was cruel, bloody, and nasty.
He could have stopped all of it. He could have called every angel in heaven to demolish every person standing and shouting "Crucify Him!" He didn't. He knew in order to have a Sunday you have to have a Friday. He felt everything that day.
He felt how your heart broke wide open when you had to watch your baby die.
He felt how heavy your life was when you were staring down the barrel of a gun wondering if the man was going to shoot you.
He carried the weight of the burden you have felt since your spouse died, or left you, and life just doesn't seem right since.
Jesus leveled every playing field and said ALL of you are worth it.
He knew he had to carry the cross.
He never promised the cross you carry in this life would not be heavy.
His promise is that Sunday is coming.
No matter how heavy Friday is…financially, emotionally, mentally, or physically. Friday is heavy. That cross is weighing you down and you are about to crumble under its weight.
His promise was simply this: He won't make you carry it alone. What kind of king would step down from his throne for this?
Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God did. For you. So…look up, because Sunday is coming.
