We call it Good Friday. But “good” hardly describes what was happening, especially as Jesus’ mother stood at the foot of the cross.

John 19:25-27
…Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

It was a long way from Nazareth to that Bethlehem stable…especially long for a woman in the last days of her pregnancy. No doubt she felt every jolt of the rough terrain on the seventy-mile trip. And then they arrived to find every room occupied. They could only find a cave where animals were kept. It was not the best place to birth a child, but by that point, Mary was not particular. It was warm and dry, and the baby was on the way. What emotions did she feel that night? She was a young girl holding her firstborn. Surely, there were tears of joy…and wonder as she reflected on the visit from the angel. She was a virgin holding her baby! She felt the little heart beating against her chest and a mysterious wonder beating in her heart.

It was a long way from that Bethlehem stable to the cross. Most mothers could not bear watching their sons be crucified, but Mary could not leave. She longed to hold him. She longed to wipe the blood from his beaten face. She longed to give him a drink. She longed to comfort him, but Jesus was beyond her reach. She cried tears of agony. Her son was on a cross. She watched his chest expand as he labored to breathe. She felt a crushing pain in her heart. Finally, mercifully, the end came.

It was a long way from heaven to the cross. But there hung God in the flesh. Beaten. Spit upon. Mocked. Flogged. Stripped. Crucified. A “kingly crown” of thorns mockingly thrust onto his head. God loved us so much that he sent his only Son to go through that awful death in order to pay sin’s penalty. But death could not keep him there. And now the resurrected Lord brings his cross work to meet you wherever you are. Rich…and empty. Poor…and needy. Successful…and searching.  Fallen…and struggling to get up. Jesus meets you where you are with his once-for-all-time sacrifice…and carries you all the way to eternity.

If you have not trusted in the completed work of Jesus, please pray this prayer:

Lord Jesus, I cannot imagine the pain of the cross, but I know you died for me. Thank you for paying the penalty for my sins. I am sorry for them. I seek your forgiveness. I want to stand clean before you. I trust in you as the risen Savior. Thank you for accepting me as your child. In your name, I pray. Amen.