Read
2 Corinthians 6:18, Ephesians 3:17-19, 1 John 1:9, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:2
At a glance, it seems weird that our calendars call today “Good Friday.” After all, isn’t it the day that Christ, the King of Kings, was beaten, mocked, and horrifically murdered for all to see? How could this be called Good?
Well, the Good is the part of the story that you and I experience. Jesus willingly went to the cross and sacrificed his life so that we could experience the most Good thing that ever happened—a relationship with God. Not a broken, twisted separateness that started with sin in the Garden of Eden, but a holy, deep connection with the God of the universe. Jesus went through the bad so that we could experience the good.
Today, we’re going to look at the Good that happened on the cross and how it affects the bad in our lives. Here’s what you’ll need:
• this playlist of instrumental worship music
• your journal you have been using
• a pencil
• a marker
1. Turn on your worship music and draw an outline of a cross on a page in your journal or a sheet of a paper. Think through the things that have taken priority over Christ as king in your life. Maybe it’s some of the clutter you wrote down on Day 2, sins that have crept into your life, or things that have become “idols.” Write these things in pencil on the cross—one word answers are fine.
2. Now that you’ve written these things down, take a minute to confess them to God. Ask for forgiveness and a renewed heart.
3. Lastly, let’s bring the Good News into this activity. Below are some gospel truths that God gives us. Read through them, look up the verses, and add to the list if you think of any.
• You are a child of God (2 Corinthians 6:18)
• You are loved by God, more than you can imagine! (Ephesians 3:17–19)
• God forgives us (I John 1:9)
• You are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)
• Jesus died to set you free (Romans 8:2)
4. Now consider what you’ve already written on the cross in light of these gospel truths. Take your marker and write over your sins with the gospel truths that are connecting with you right now. Spend a few minutes thanking Christ your Risen King for the Good he did on the cross for you.