Injustice. Agony. Mockery. Misunderstandings. Chaos. Terror. Murder. Abuse. Loss.
In short, evil.
We hate experiencing it. We hate seeing it devastate the lives of others, destroy dreams, eat away at hope. We hate how it disrupts lives, bulldozing into the picture and marring what was supposed to be beautiful and serene and good. We hate how it shows up without warning and leaves us reeling, wondering if we were ever really strong to begin with.
It seems to be snowballing these days, and if you're like me, it's a struggle not to allow all the evil reports to pile up and weigh you down. They're getting heavier and heavier.
Families agonize over loved ones held in the cruelest captivity while the world cozies up to the perpetrators and berates the victims for self-defense.
A godly woman struggles with an empty womb month after month while hearing story after story of babies being thrown away or sold for parts.
A single parent with several children fights to raise them right while being continually beaten down by the justice system that's supposed to be helping her.
A couple's marriage is barely hanging on after the devastation of their child's life lost to an accident, and then they find out they're sick.
When we're in the midst of these things or watching someone close to us struggle through them, we wonder...why doesn't God just stop it all? Why would He allow something so heart-wrenching and WRONG to continue when His heart is 100% absolute, infinite love and compassion? Doesn't the evil sicken Him? Doesn't He want to see His children thriving rather than suffering?
It does. He does. And that's why He allowed something else that sickened Him over 2000 years ago.
Jesus' trial and crucifixion seethed with evil. He was so innocent that His accusers had to conduct an illegal trial with false witnesses and invoke the pagan law of their oppressors in order to condemn Him. He had been with them every day in the temple and around their countryside for years doing good: healing the sick, casting out demons, feeding the hungry, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom--the Kingdom that was not of this world. The Kingdom we were all barred from until He came and made a way through His own flesh.
Fully God and fully Man, He was the most innocent human ever to walk the Earth, the only One who truly didn't deserve death or suffering in any form...and yet He was spat upon, beaten, mocked, abused, abandoned and betrayed by those He'd created and served. And then, He was nailed to a tree. He sweat blood beforehand, begging His Father, with whom He shared perfect fellowship, to make another way. But He was still willing to surrender to the Father's plan.
So, He endured. He went to the Cross.
And the Father turned away His Face, unable to look at the sin that His Son had taken upon Himself for the sake of the world.
God Almighty broke His own Heart for us. Jesus gave His own Life for us. And then, He rose.
The darkest, most unjust death in the history of the world purchased our Salvation, drew us near to God, and offered us the chance to be filled with the same Power that raised our Savior from the dead!
And there's even MORE good news!
If the worst day in history is now known as Good Friday because it was the most key element in the cosmic plan of God, then our pain is redeemable too. Our devastation isn't the end of our story...because we're part of a much bigger story. And our victory was purchased at the Cross Jesus willingly went to because He loved the Reward.
Beyond that, He is now our Example and Empowerment to do the same. He's our Hope of eternal Reward when we endure to the end like He did. Because of Him, we can "lay aside every weight and sin that clings so closely and run with endurance the race marked out for us, looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God!"
We can "consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself so that [we] may not grow weary or fainthearted" (Hebrews 12:1-3)
Lift up your face and take heart! Because of Jesus, you are a champion.
Your pain isn't the end. Because His wasn't. And that's something to celebrate!