There's an old hymn that we sing on Easter Sundays, "Up From the Grave He Arose," actually I believe we're singing it at our 8:30 a.m. service this Sunday! Anyway, the opening verse starts in a very slow cadence, almost like a funeral dirge:
Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!
Then it breaks into the upbeat, happy chorus announcing that Jesus has risen from the grave, victorious over death. That's Easter!
Today is Good Friday. On Good Friday they laid him in the grave. It was a funeral dirge. It was depressing. Imagine, this man in whom you put all your hopes and dreams is dead and those hopes and dreams are dashed against the stone of cold hard reality. None of the disciples thought there was any hope left. They scattered, scared that their appointment with death was coming soon.
But, they were wrong. They were all wrong. Jesus is exactly who he says he is. He is the Son of the Living God. He is the Savior who takes away the sin of the world. He is the Great Shepherd of the Sheep. He did get up on Sunday morning!
It's good, though, that we celebrate… (is that the right word?), that we celebrate Good Friday. For, while it wasn't very good for Jesus, and it wasn't particularly exciting for the disciples, it is tremendously good for us! Yes, Jesus suffered and died, voluntarily laying down his life so that we could experience a life-changing relationship with God, so that our sins are forgiven, and we are able to walk in the newness of life. Victory from defeat. Glory from tragedy. Life from death.
Flourishing Life 
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