"The God Who Suffers"

(a Good Friday reflection from "Kingdom Come" - Holy Week Retreat of Feast Bay Area)

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” -Isaiah 53:5 (NIV):

There He was—beaten, bloodied, whipped, and crowned with thorns. At this point, His strength began to falter. Yet He still endured, determined to fulfill His mission.

If that wasn’t enough, He willingly carried His cross toward Calvary. The weight of that cross bore all the sins of the world.

As He walked past, you saw Him. You saw how He was mocked by the very people He came to save. The same people who once adored Him for the miracles He performed were now the ones shouting for His crucifixion.

You knew He didn’t deserve this. “He’s innocent!” you cried. You tried to help Him, but the Roman soldiers were there. No matter how hard you tried, the crowd in front of you held you back.

“What are you doing? He deserves it!” someone yelled.

As soon as you heard those words, you shouted back: “No, He does not!” You tried to push through the crowd. You wanted to reach the Man carrying the cross. He had already fallen three times by then. But even though you summoned all the courage within you, you couldn’t break through. All you could do was watch.

You remembered all the good He had done—the wisdom He shared, the love He gave. Tears welled in your eyes. You realized how unfair it was. Deep down, you knew: You should be the one in His place. You should be the one suffering.

When you could no longer bear the sight before you, you cried out:

“Stop! Enough of this!”

Suddenly, the Man stopped. He heard you.

Then you realized—He was standing just inches in front of you. He turned His head. He knew those words came from you.

He looked at you with a face bruised, bloodied, and nearly unrecognizable. You tried to look away, but in that moment, you noticed something else.

Despite all the pain He was enduring, there was something in His gaze: an overflowing love. A love like no other. And then… He smiled at you.Out of nowhere, you heard a voice—not an audible one, but a voice deep within you. It was Him. He called your name and said:

“Don’t worry. Everything will make sense in the end. And even if you were the only person in the world, I would still choose to go through all of this—just to show how much I love you.”

You were speechless. How could a perfect God love a sinner like me?

Then, it all became clear. You saw the bigger picture: That’s how much He values you. That despite everything you’ve done, He still sees you as someone worthy to be loved. To be forgiven and to ba saved.

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Prayer:

Dear Lord,

Even in our sinfulness, You chose to carry the weight of it all to save us. You continue to forgive, to love, and to extend Your mercy without hesitation. We are humbled and grateful for the sacrifice You made.

As we remember the story of Good Friday, may it remind us that no act done in love is ever wasted. Let Your example inspire us to live with purpose, compassion, and faith.

Thank You for Your mercy. Thank You for Your unending grace.

Amen.