The arena was dimly lit that Good Friday morning long ago. I sat by myself, feeling alone even as hundreds of people began filling the seats. All of a sudden, my heart skipped and my stomach dropped and I had that horrible feeling you get when you hear someone you love has died. Tears immediately sprang to my eyes and I tried to quiet myself to figure out what was going on. A strong voice inside said, “Your best friend died.” My mind raced. Was it Kevin? Please, Lord, no…we had just been married two years. Chris, one of my best friends since elementary school? Again, the quiet voice within spoke. “Jesus, your best friend, died.” I had been a Christian only a few years at that point, and the Holy Spirit had not spoken to me like that often.
I was an overwhelmed, grieving mess by the time the evangelist I worked for took the stage and began preaching. In great and grave detail, he explained what happened on Good Friday. Every word of the passion hit me so hard. Every blow of the hammer against the nail in Jesus’ hands sent shivers and nausea through my body. God gave me a visceral response to the very real death that I somehow did not before feel was real. I rejoiced that Easter Sunday morning like never before or since. I went to worship twice in a row and cried tears of absolute joy while singing “Jesus Christ is Risen Today.” Alleluia!
That Good Friday changed my faith walk. Everything I believed was real became real. How did God make Himself real to you the first time? I pray your mind can revisit that lightning bolt of clarity and that jumble of raw emotions. May the reality of our Savior continue to bolster your faith today. Your Best Friend died, and rose from the grave, for you. Alleluia! ~Tracy