If Jesus is risen (sorry, if you’re reading this before Easter Sunday – but it is true!), why the focus on suffering of Lent and Holy Week? If it’s all good news (and it really is Good News!) does it matter how we got there?
In Romans, Paul talks about God’s moral law where the consequence of sin is death. So we shouldn’t be surprised if saving us from our sins involves death.
Jesus’ suffering (unimaginable to us – his entirely undeserved suffering, at the extremes of physical, mental and spiritual endurance) is hard for us to take. But shouldn’t we reflect that our sin is also hard for God to forgive?
Lent and Holy Week and Good Friday should lead us to worship the God who loves us so much.
But that was Friday, and we can call it ‘Good’ because of what happened on the following Sunday. God’s power was demonstrated; Death is defeated; and we are saved.
“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” Rom 8:11.
Raymond.