Welcome to my Lenten journal for Holy Week. You are welcome to follow along and comment.  

On Good Friday Jesus died on the cross for us. The full reading is in John 18-19. its worth the time on this Good Friday to read it all and know our blessing.  Here are a couple of observations out of many that are running through my mind. 

“Into thy hand I commit my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God. ” psalm 31:6

“So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” John19:16-22

So why is it”good” Friday after all of that?  Used to be that any day observed as special by the church was prefixed as “good”.  So Monday of this week was technically “good” Monday. It is the outcome of the day and not this horror that we celebrate. 

 I am filled with wonder that Jesus would use the same words than the psalmist was led to use in his own moment of spiritual breakthrough.  

I am filled with wonder at how easy a crowd of believers could be whipped up ito a violent frenzy while the hard hearted Pilate was hard to convince. 

I am filled with wonder that those who knew more about the coming messiah than anyone would demand that his identity be changed.  They would not allow him to be king, regardless. Jesus and Pilate got it.   The crowd didn’t. 

So, here we are on the eve of our highest holy day. Do we get it?  Will we claim our identity as God’s child or will we allow the crowd to who why and why we are?  

As for me, I am going to decide what a Christian is by searching scriptures,  scrutinizing church tradition, filtering with my own experiences and Spirit led reason.  I am not suggesting a systematic theology class but a lifestyle of intimate reflection on God and the amazing life in Christ.  

We have a decision to make on this Good Friday.  Will the sad bureaucrats of television and social media define our King through our screen time?  Or, will we choose our King by a life of faith. 

The greatest proof of Christ is our life lived healthy, peacefully and boldly.  Today I will choose Jesus as King.