Friday of the Gospel of the Cross

 

Today is a glorious day! It's Good Friday. The Welsh name for this day is fantastic — it roughly translates as the Friday of the Gospel of the Cross. Specifically, the Gospel bit in the Welsh name is about the Gospel reading, so the name of the day points us to how to keep the day. It's not about what we do. We're not trying to reenact things to gain God's favour. No! Good Friday is a day that's all about what God has done for us in Christ. This is the day that Jesus uttered those words, 'It is finished' (Jn 19:30). And the Welsh name reminds us that the only way we can truly celebrate Christ's finished work is not by doing, but by receiving. This is a day to come to the Gospel reading of the Cross. This is a day to meditate on the Scriptures which speak to us of our Saviour and what He accomplished for us on the cross of Calvary. This is a day to meet with the Crucified and Living Lord in His Word. 

So, happy Good Friday! Be blessed in meditating on Christ and His Cross today. 

And if you want some helps to lift your eyes to the cross today, I've put together a playlist for Holy Week on Youtube of hymns and songs giving praise and thanks for the cross. And here's a wee meditation I wrote on the God-Man in the Garden of Gethsemane. 

Other than that, let me just leave you with a few lines from two of my favourite hymns.

He took my sins and my sorrows,

He made them His very own;

He bore the burden to Calvary

And suffered and died alone.

'Tis Finished the Messiah dies,

Cut off for sins, but His own.

Accomplished is the sacrifice,

The great redeeming work is done!