When the time was right, Jesus, though he was in the form of God, emptied himself and was born as a human baby.  When he grew up and was 33 years old, He became obedient to death, even death on the cross.

This is the week, Holy Week, when we remember the events that take us to Good Friday. Just a few days after the big parade for Jesus on Palm Sunday, he was arrested.  The guards and soldiers were very cruel to Jesus.  The leaders incited the crowd to demand that Jesus be crucified. 

And so it was, Jesus, as was the custom, had to carry his own huge cross to Golgotha, which means “The Skull”, the place he was to die.  He had to carry the cross through the streets of Jerusalem, while the crowds laughed and spit and shouted insults at him.  A big cross like that is very heavy indeed. 

In addition to the cross, Jesus also carried another heavy burden, one that could not be seen.  It was the burden of all the sins of the world.   Jesus had to carry the cross AND all the sins in the world.  It was such a heavy load that Jesus stumbled.  The soldiers forced a man in the crowd help Jesus carry the cross.  His name was Simon.

When Barabas heard this part of the story, he felt so badly that he has sinned.  He remembered the time when he stole the money from Uncle Floyd’s money jar and then snuck out to buy that UFO Color Changing Light.  Barabas thought that if he was there in that crowd he would HELP Jesus carry the cross.  He would NEVER want to laugh or spit or hurt Jesus.

Haman thought about the times he teases his sister to make her cry.

Uncle Floyd and Mrs. Potato Head and Mr. Gym Teacher and the Church Secretary and even Pastor Ed and The SCS Teacher thought about the times they have sinned.  Here is another person who has sinned.  Frank Heffelfinger, the man who is in jail, the man who soon will be released from prison, because he has finished his jail sentence, the man who is Barabas’s father.  He regrets his sin. 

You see, we all have sinned, even Elizabeth. You and I have sinned.  Big sins and little sins.  All the sins of the world were a part of the burden Jesus carried on Good Friday.

You might wonder why we call it GOOD FRIDAY, the day that Jesus died on the cross.  I mean, it seems like a lot of bad things happened to Jesus. 

Jesus was placed on the cross at 9:00am.  At noon, the sky grew dark and angry as Jesus hung there.  The women who loved Jesus wept.  The sign on the cross above Jesus head said “King of the Jews”.  About 3 o’clock one of the mean soldiers looked at the cross as Jesus cried out.  And he saw Jesus die.  The soldier said “This is REALLY the Son of God!”

God highly exalted Jesus.  At the name of Jesus every head should bow and every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. 

Today, when we look at the cross, we should bow our head, because as bad as it was for Jesus on that Good Friday, what he did was a GOOD Thing, to die for our sin, as is God’s plan for our salvation.

Let’s bow our heads and close our eyes for a prayer – Dear Jesus, we are so sorry when we fall short of what you have hoped for us.  Thank you, thank you that you have come to save us.  Amen.

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