Christians celebrate the week prior to Easter as Holy Week. The week begins with the triumphal entry of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem on the back of a colt. All who lined the streets that day were casting their cloaks before Him on the road, waving palm branches and praising Him with the words, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
In the course of events throughout this week, we find that things changed rapidly over the course of a few days. Jesus, who was praised as the One who had come in the name of the Lord on Sunday, was arrested while He was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane with his disciples on Thursday night.
This arrest led to Jesus being falsely accused, falsely tried, scourged, mocked, beaten, and then finally sentenced to death by crucifixion at the hand of the Roman executioners. In the Gospel accounts of these events, we can put together the narrative of events. We also can see the reality of the pain suffering and death that Jesus endured in order to fulfill God’s plan for the redemption of man’s sin.
One preacher, S. M. Lockridge, in trying to describe the events that took place on that Friday, preached a message entitled, “It’s Friday, But Sunday’s Coming!” I want to share a few lines of His message in order to encourage you with the truth that no matter how dark it may have seemed on that Friday, there is hope in Jesus because Sunday’s coming!
I know it's Friday. But thanks be to God that Sunday's coming!
It's Friday. Jesus is praying. Peter's a sleeping. Judas is betraying. But Sunday's comin'.
It's Friday. Pilate's struggling. The council is conspiring. The crowd is vilifying. They don't even know that Sunday's comin'.
It's Friday. The disciples are running Like sheep without a shepherd. Mary's crying. Peter is denying. But they don't know that Sunday's a comin'.
It's Friday. The Romans beat my Jesus. They robe him in scarlet. They crown him with thorns. But they don't know that Sunday's comin'.
It's Friday. See Jesus walking to Calvary. His blood dripping. His body stumbling. And his spirit's burdened. But you see, it's only Friday. Sunday's comin'.
It's Friday. The world's winning. People are sinning. And evil's grinning. It's Friday. The soldiers nail my Savior's hands to the cross. They nail my Savior's feet to the cross. And then they raise him up Next to criminals. It's Friday. But let me tell you something, Sunday's comin'.
It's Friday. The disciples are questioning. What has happened to their King. And the Pharisees are celebrating that their scheming has been achieved. But they don't know It's only Friday. Sunday's comin'.
It's Friday. He's hanging on the cross. Feeling forsaken by his Father. Left alone and dying. Can nobody save him? Ooooh It's Friday. But Sunday's comin'.
It's Friday. The earth trembles. The sky grows dark. My King yields his spirit./ It's Friday. Hope is lost. Death has won. Sin has conquered and Satan's just a laughin'.
It's Friday. Jesus is buried. A soldier stands guard. And a rock is rolled into place. But it's Friday. It is only Friday. Sunday is a comin'!
As you and your family gather to celebrate Easter this year, I pray that you will be reminded that the death of Jesus was not the end of the story. When Jesus told His disciples of His death, he was always faithful to remind them that He would also be raised on the third day! Yes, He proclaimed that Sunday was coming!
Sunday did come. The women, who had followed Christ, went to the tomb at daybreak and found that the stone had been rolled away and the tomb was empty. An Angel was there as asked them question, “Why do you seek the living among the dead, He is alive just as He said!” They ran back to the other disciples to tell them what they had seen and they too, ran to the garden tomb to find that His body was not there. Hallelujah, He is risen indeed!
In Christ,
Bro. Tim
