Good Friday: The Suffering King — Holy Week at Victory Alabang
The Suffering King
On the cross, Jesus took the punishment of man’s sin upon Himself—His life for our lives. He took our place. It had to be Him for no other sacrifice was sufficient—perfect and sinless. He endured because His pain had a purpose. He had to die so that we could have life.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed on his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put on his clothes and led him away to crucify him.
— Matthew 27:27-31
How can we reflect on Good Friday?
As we picture Jesus on the cross, may we call to mind all the suffering that he went through—physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. When we face our own concerns and challenges today, we are assured, not only that He understands, but that He enables us to endure and overcome.
My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought—
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to His Cross, and I bear it no more;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live;
If dark hours about me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.— It Is Well With My Soul
Personal Application
Just like Jesus’ death brought glory to the Father, our hardships are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. In the here and now, God grows us into ever increasing Christlikeness each time we say, “Not my will, but yours be done.” In this, there is peace and victory. For He who said this, overcame.
Reflection
What does surrender to God look like for you?
How can we find encouragement in the reality of Jesus’ suffering and the depth of His understanding and empowerment?