It Is Finished

Good Friday.
I know, what's so good about it, right?

I love this day. I love joy through pain, trials with a purpose. I search for things with depth of meaning.

And I love that where I live, this day is often grey and/or rainy. It seems appropriate.

This is the day that our Lord and Savior died.

But.

I have come to feel as though his crucifixion, as painful as it was, was nothing compared to the dark night before, and there is a goodness in this day - a sunrise, a hope. I feel like once He endured Gethsemane, He was over the hill and He could see the end in sight and know that He had done what was required of Him. Of course there was one last time that the Father removed Himself. One last painful moment for our brother. He cried out to Heavenly Father, "Why has Thou forsaken me?". But all was within His power at this point. He would choose the moment of His death when He knew His work was done.

John records His final words as, "It is finished".  I love this. I love that Jesus was able to acknowledge what He had accomplished. Just the night before He had asked if this cup could pass, but He drank from it. He endured everything set before Him. He did so with quiet dignity and with love and forgiveness for those who hurt and betrayed Him. He did this because He could see the end and because he knew why he was doing it.

 Our Savior's last words reminds me of the hymn that I love, Come Let Us Anew, which inspired the name of this blog.

Oh, that each in the day of His coming may say,

"I have fought my way thru;

I have finished the work thou didst give me to do."

I don't have the emotional or spiritual abilities of Jesus, but I can look to Him as my example. I want nothing more than to know that I did all that I could when my time comes. I know that I have a work here to do, and I wish to be about my Father's business. I will keep trying to see the goal, to remember why it is important to endure hardships well. We are being refined.

This day reminds me to have hope, for as painful as today may seem, soon things will be better and things will make sense. Soon I will have greater understanding and peace. I don't want to be disappointed in my choices. Soon the rock will be rolled away from in front of my very eyes and I shall see.

Sunday is coming...