Coffee With The Lord

The day between “Good Friday” and “Easter Sunday” … what do you call it?  I’m calling it “Anticipation Saturday!”

During “Coffee with the Lord” today an old gospel song I sang as a child on Easter in church came to mind… and I’ve been reflecting on it all “Anticipation Saturday” morning!

“Low in the grave He lay,

Jesus, my Savior,

Waiting the coming day,

Jesus, my Lord!

“Vainly they watch His bed,

Jesus, my Savior;

Vainly they seal the dead,

Jesus, my Lord!

“Death cannot keep his Prey,

Jesus, my Savior;

He tore the bars away,

Jesus, my Lord!

Refrain: (and it MUST be sung with “gusto”!!)

“Up from the grave He arose,

With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,

He arose a Victor from the dark domain,

And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.

He arose! He arose!

Hallelujah! Christ arose!”

-Robert Lowery 1874

Let’s call it “Anticipation Saturday” and rejoice that Easter Sunday came and inaugurated HOPE!

We call it “Good Friday” …  How can it be GOOD?  The day that Jesus died in agony, infamy, unjustly accused, and for my sin – for the sin of the whole world!

This morning I was reminded of why He died… for the sin of us all!  Psalm 38 expresses our condition well…

“For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me! … But for You, O Lord, do I wait!  It is You, O Lord my God, Who will answer. … I confess [acknowledge] my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin! … Do not forsake me, O Lord!  O my God, be not far from me!   Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!” (From Psalm 38)

I’ve got to tell you, those inspired words from David, describe perfectly how I felt when I became aware of my sinfulness!

But there is an answer, and that is why we call it “GOOD Friday!”

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows!  Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.  He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed!  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one of us – to his own way; and the Lord has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all!” (From Isaiah 53:4-6)

“Now I would remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are saved… I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sin in accordance with the Scriptures, the He was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures!” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

Yes… “Good News!” – the “Gospel!”  “GOOD Friday!”  There is an answer – a solution – for my sin, for all of our sin!  The sacrifice – the death – of the sinless “Lamb of God,” Jesus Christ, on the cross!  He died for our sin, He was buried, and rose from the dead!  Praise the Lord!  It really was a “GOOD Friday!”

As a young boy on the farm, I remember my father giving me instructions about chores he wanted me to do, while he went into town on an errand.  There was always a healthy sense of responsibility and expectation with those instructions.  Believe me, when I say he expected obedience and task fulfillment while he was gone!

All of that came to mind as I read the instructions – the assignment – that Jesus gave his disciples shortly before He left them to return to heaven…

Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go (literally, “as you are going” or “in your going”) and MAKE DISCIPLES of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (From Matthew 28.16-20 NIV)

Just a couple of observations… 

The authority of our Lord and Savior is complete and cosmic!  We really ought to take His command seriously!  We will be held accountable!  As His disciples we really need to be about the business of disciple-making (and not a lot of other stuff)!

Secondly, although He went back to His Heavenly Father in heaven, He did not leave us to flounder alone in the task!  Look at the next statement in the passage… “And SURELY I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, to the very end of the age.”  He sent His promised Holy Spirit to assist us as we obediently seek to fulfill what He instructed us to do!  (cp. John 14.15-18; 16.5-7; Luke 24.46-49; and Acts 1.8)  All I can say to that is PRAISE THE LORD!!