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The House That Good Friday Built
Jon Burgess“But the tribe of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, who lived in the city of Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live there among the people of Judah to this day.” Joshua 15:63
Between the promise and the provision there are problems, lots and lots of problems. The Israelites found this out when they went in to take the Promised Land and found that their enemies weren't too keen on leaving the homes they had called their own. The tribe of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites no matter how hard they fought... so they became neighbors. In fact, it wasn't until the time of King David of the tribe of Judah, that the Jebusites were driven from Jerusalem and the Promised Land became fully theirs.
It wasn't until the Son of David from the tribe of Judah came and died on a Cross that the sin that had laid claim to the square footage of our soul was given an eviction notice signed in His sacrificial blood! Good Friday is the only reason we have the land promised to us. Like Judah, you and I don't have what it takes to drive sin from our lives. Apart from what Christ accomplished on the cross our lives would be spent in cohabitation with sin. After a while we just get used to it being there. We've already tried to get away from this addiction, to quite that bad habit, to stop thinking those thoughts, to step away from that toxic relationship, but no amount of good will and honest effort seems to set us free. So we settle. We say to sin, "You can have that half of the bed, you can use that sink, you can have these hours of my day." Because it's not sin 24/7 we generally feel good about things. Like those from Judah walking on the other side of the open market from the Jebusites we try to pretend we don't see the sin and that this really is a workable solution. Until, one day, we realize that what was meant to be our promised land has become our prison. That when we gave sin the broom closet it took the castle. That to let sin have one foot in the door was to let sin stomp all over that which God had meant as home. The "It Is Finished" of Good Friday reveals we never could finish what we had started. Like the tribe of Judah we just got used to it. We just gave up. Christ on the Cross conquered every sin, not just the easy ones to get rid of. What makes Good Friday so good is that Jesus lived the life we could not to accomplish what we would not to give us the life we should not have! Good Friday cleans out the house and Easter Sunday opens wide the door and says "come on in all you who believe to the Promised Land- you're forgiven and free!"
Thank you Jesus. Like the tribe of Judah I couldn't do it. I saw the promise and chose compromise instead. All the good intentions and hard work and sheer determination just wouldn't get rid of the sin so I decided to just live with it.
Poem: On Good Friday, you looked me in the face, "That's not really living. Let Me have the place. Son, you have to give it all, not just a few rooms. I gave it all away to show you how to. I want the front door and back door- the keys to the place. The living room, the bedroom, the ones you've defaced. I even want that closet where you hide all your shame. Let me have it all. I'll take the blame. Step outside while I clean it all tonight. Saturday you'll think "this just can't be right". Don't worry, don't run, just stay away from fear. Sunday is coming and you'll be welcomed here! When the sun rises I'll throw open this door. You'll step into a home like you've never known before. You'll see new life so fresh, so clean. You'll finally understand what forgiveness means. Feel free to run out and tell everyone. "What can I do"? Son, it's already been done!
