Good Friday Archives - Marissa Henley

The Risen Christ Conquered Death {No Matter What Monday}

April 2, 2018 by Marissa Leave a Comment

I’ll never forget the look of joy on his little 3-year-old face when he heard the news. My first-born, Christopher, was eating breakfast at the kitchen table when he started asking questions about Jesus. He had heard repeatedly that Jesus had died on the cross for his sins. But apparently we had failed to mention one crucial piece of information – Jesus didn’t stay dead. When I mentioned that Jesus rose from the dead, his eyes grew wide and he exclaimed, “Jesus is ALIVE?!?” He clapped his hands exuberantly and shouted, “Yaaaaaay!”

It was such a joy to witness the moment my son first learned the good news of the resurrection. He realized for the first time that death didn’t win. Jesus isn’t still in the grave. He is risen!

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep . . . “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (I Cor. 15:20 and 55, NIV)

Friend, this is good news: Jesus is alive! He isn’t just a suffering Savior who died in your place but a reigning King who conquered the power of death. Yes, He took the punishment for your sin and freed you from its guilt. But He also rose victorious over the ultimate enemy. We read in Revelation 1:18 that Jesus holds the keys to death and hades. Death has no power over Him.

Our risen Savior is the firstfruits of the resurrection. “Firstfruits” implies that there are more resurrection fruits to come! When He stepped out of the grave, He made a way for us to have new life in Him now and eternal life with Him forever. Death has no power over Him, and it also has no power over those of us who are in Christ.

And so even though we feel the pain and sting of death here temporarily, we can look at the empty grave and say with Paul, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” Jesus Christ took the sting of death for us, so we wait eagerly for the day when we feel it no more.

No matter what you face this week, the risen Christ conquered death for us.

Our Savior Became Sin {No Matter What Monday}

March 26, 2018 by Marissa Leave a Comment

As I stand at the bathroom sink fixing my hair and makeup in the morning, my dog often torments me by curling up in the empty space I just left in my bed. I long to return to that spot—I’m not a morning person—and it makes me crazy to see him lay his little white head on my pillow and doze off.

Most days, I wish I could trade places with him. His life seems so easy: sleep, eat, repeat. But then I remember that he eats the same thing every day and has to go outside to use the bathroom, even in frigid temperatures and thunderstorms.

As we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ this week, let’s remember that He is the One who traded places with us. Our Savior saw our hopeless condition—we were sinners who could not save ourselves. He humbled Himself to take our place on the cross, so that we might have a place with Him forever.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Christ became sin for our sake. In this passage, Paul is talking about reconciliation—specifically, how sinners are reconciled to a holy God. Christ took the punishment for our sin so we could be reconciled to God. Paul says He “became sin,” receiving what our sin deserved.

Christ became sin even though He was sinless. If He had sinned even once, the punishment He received would be His own. Only a sinless Lamb could trade places with us and take our place on the cross.

Christ became sin so that in Him we might receive righteousness. My kids and I call it “The Great Swap.” On the cross, Christ took our place and received the punishment our sin deserved. In exchange, He gives us His perfect record of obedience–His righteousness. We receive what Christ has earned: right standing before a holy God and eternal life with Him.

This Great Swap is the good news of the Gospel: those who are in Christ look at the cross and see their debt fully paid, their sin forgiven, and the righteousness of Christ given to them.

No matter what you face this week, our sinless Savior became sin so sinners might receive His righteousness.

Why the Cross Matters

April 13, 2017 by Marissa 1 Comment

This week, we turn our thoughts to the cross and the empty tomb as Easter approaches. I love plastic eggs filled with candy, but Christ didn’t die and rise again to give us a holiday. He endured a shameful death because there was no other way to rescue us. There was no other way to reverse the separation from God caused by our sin.

Does it matter that over 2,000 years ago, Roman soldiers carried out a routine death sentence for a convicted criminal named Jesus of Nazareth?

It only matters if that criminal was actually guiltless. It only matters if He was fully human and fully divine. It only matters if His death satisfied God’s just demands on behalf of guilty sinners. If none of these things are true, it was just another day in the Roman Empire.

But if the man who hung on the cross that Friday afternoon was truly the Son of God, then when He uttered the words, “It is finished,” everything changed. Consider this list of the ways Christ’s cross impacts us:

Christ was betrayed so you could be reconciled to God. (Romans 5:10)

Christ was taken captive so you could be set free. (Matthew 26:50, Galatians 5:1)

Christ poured out His blood so you could be filled with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 26:28, Romans 8:11)

Christ was falsely accused so you could be free from the accusations of the evil one. (Matthew 26:59-60)

Christ was sacrificed so you could be rescued. (I Peter 1:18-19)

Christ was taken outside the city gates so you could be brought into God’s kingdom. (Matthew 27:33)

Christ was forsaken so you could be accepted. (Matthew 27:46)

Christ was disrobed so you could be clothed in His righteousness. (Isaiah 61:10, Matthew 27:35)

Christ became sin so you could be made righteous. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Christ was wounded so you could be healed. (I Peter 2:24)

Christ was mocked so you could be welcomed. (Matthew 27:39-44)

Christ suffered so you could be sanctified. (Hebrews 13:11-13)

Christ was condemned so you could know no condemnation. (Romans 8:1)

Christ became like the guilty so your guilt could be removed. (Matthew 27:37-38, Psalm 103:12)

Christ was separated from the Father so you never will be. (Romans 8:38-39)

Christ died in the darkness so you could walk in the light. (Matthew 27:45, John 8:12)

Christ became cursed so you could be free from the curse. (Deuteronomy 21:22-23)

Christ was humiliated so you could be glorified with Him. (Romans 8:17)

Christ was rejected so you could be adopted. (Romans 8:15-16)

Christ felt the sting of death so you could be freed from its power. (I Corinthians 15:55-57, Matthew 27:50)

Christ was punished so you could be pardoned. (Micah 7:18)

Christ wore a crown of thorns so you could receive the crown of life. (Matthew 27:29, James 1:12)

Christ experienced God’s wrath so you could be spared from it. (Romans 3:25)

Christ was the perfect Passover Lamb so you could pass from death to life. (John 1:29, Colossians 1:13)

The cross of Christ matters. It’s good news for sinners like you and me, because the One who proved His love for us will never fail to keep His promises. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)!

This list of benefits of Christ’s cross originally appeared on this blog in April 2014.

Repost: The Cross of Jesus

March 24, 2016 by Marissa Leave a Comment

Two years ago, these words came to mind as I prepared my heart to celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection. I’m returning to these verses again this year, so I thought I’d share them again with you. The following was originally posted here on April 17, 2014.

Tomorrow is Good Friday. We are studying Matthew 27 (the crucifixion) in Bible Study Fellowship this week. So the cross of Jesus has been on my mind lately, and it’s showed me two things:

1. The cross doesn’t enter my daily thoughts very often, and 2. It really, really should.

Life is busy. My thoughts are usually consumed with my to-do list, dinner plans, parenting challenges, and vacation daydreams. But these last several days, as my thoughts have turned more and more to the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ, I started making a mental list of how I benefit from Christ’s death on the cross.

I’d like to be more aware of these benefits on a daily basis, not just during Holy Week. And so as I record them for myself, I’ll also share them with you. I hope contemplating what Christ has done will encourage you as it has encouraged me.

Christ was betrayed, so I could be reconciled to God. (Romans 5:10)

Christ was taken captive, so I could be set free. (Matthew 26:50, Galatians 5:1)

Christ poured out His blood, so I could be filled with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 26:28, Romans 8:11)

Christ was falsely accused, so I could be free from the accusations of the evil one. (Matthew 26:59-60)

Christ was sacrificed, so I could be rescued. (I Peter 1:18-19)

Christ was taken outside the city gates, so I could be brought into God’s kingdom. (Matthew 27:33)

Christ was forsaken, so I could be accepted. (Matthew 27:46)

Christ was disrobed, so I could be clothed in His righteousness. (Isaiah 61:10, Matthew 27:35)

Christ became sin, so I could be made righteous. (II Corinthians 5:21)

Christ was wounded, so I could be healed. (I Peter 2:24)

Christ was mocked, so I could be welcomed. (Matthew 27:39-44)

Christ suffered, so I could be sanctified. (Hebrews 13:11-13)

Christ was condemned, so I could know no condemnation. (Romans 8:1)

Christ became like the guilty, so my guilt could be removed. (Matthew 27:37-38, Psalm 103:12)

Christ was separated from the Father, so I never will be. (Romans 8:38-39)

Christ died in the darkness, so I could walk in the light. (Matthew 27:45, John 8:12)

Christ became cursed, so I could be free from the curse. (Deuteronomy 21:22-23)

Christ was humiliated, so I could be glorified with Him. (Romans 8:17)

Christ was rejected, so I could be adopted. (Romans 8:15-16)

Christ felt the sting of death, so I could be freed from its power. (I Corinthians 15:55-57, Matthew 27:50)

Christ was punished, so I could be pardoned. (Micah 7:18)

Christ wore a crown of thorns, so I could receive the crown of life. (Matthew 27:29, James 1:12)

Christ experienced God’s wrath, so I could be spared from it. (Romans 3:25)

Christ was the perfect Passover Lamb, so I could pass from death to life. (John 1:29, Colossians 1:13)

John 19:30: When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.