a personal reflection on Good Friday
Life is all about choices.
The choices we make defines what we are made of. Your character is more revealed by the choices you make in times of distress.
- Jesus could choose to escape when Judas, some Pharisees & a band of soldiers arrived to arrest Him. But instead He came out & said "I AM HE" (John 18:5)
- Jesus could choose to stay silent yet He even asked them "Whom do you seek?" (John 18:7). Then when replied that they were looking for Jesus, He replied, "I told you that I AM HE" (John 18:8)
Peter also had a choice.
- But when a maid recognized him as one of Jesus' apostles, he replied, "I am not" (John 18:17).
- While Peter was standing & warming himself, they said to him, "Are not you also one of his disciples?" He denied it and said, "I am not." (John 18:25)
- When one of the servants of the high priest asked Peter, "Did I not see you in the garden with him?" Peter again denied it (John 18:26-27). Maybe Peter blurted out the three words again, "I am not".
Jesus said "I AM". Peter said "I AM NOT". They chose different answers in the same distressing situation.
Jesus chose the CROSS over His COMFORT. HE chose to SACRIFICE Himself over SAVING Himself. He chose to follow the Father's will over His. Conversely, Peter chose DENIAL over DANGER. He chose to avoid ARREST over ADMISSION. Peter chose his SAFETY over his SAVIOR.
JESUS also calls you to make a choice. He asks you to choose not only during stressful times but EVERY TIME. He preaches that "He who is not with me is against me" (Matthew 12:30). With Christ, it's either 100% or zero percent. No sitting on the fence when it comes to God. Remember, God chose to become man to save YOU.
"And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross." - Philippians 2:8
Good Friday was filled with very bad choices made by men. But this day also proves to us that GOD WILL ALWAYS CHOOSE US. That truth makes this day a very Good Friday! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com
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