It was still a beautiful day even with all the suffering

It was still a beautiful day even with all the suffering

As we celebrate those days that we refer to as Good Friday and Easter Sunday in the next few days, think about how we just have a way of thinking about those days as dark and gloomy and lots of sadness everywhere.

Not to say that there was none, because there was a lot of pain and broken hearts that day from a lot of his close followers and his mother and some of the others that were there. But what made it so wonderful and somewhat peaceful that day was the fact that he was carrying out the will of his father with out hesitation on his part.

I know that some think that he was trying to get out of going to the cross when he told his father if it was his will to let this cup pass from him, so they believe that Jesus was saying, father, I sure don't want to do this, so if you can find some other way for us to get the same results, I sure wish you would. But in no way do I believe that he was talking about the cross, but in my thoughts that come from my heart and in what I think is truth, he was talking about Satan, because old Satan was making his last stand to have man all to himself, and Satan knew that up to this point, it was all about animal blood offered to the father to represent the coming of the cross. But now it was about to be the blood that was shed by the son of God, so I believe he was telling his father to hold Satan back, lest he try to put a stumbling block in his path to the cross.

Satan was whispering in his ear and offering him everything that he thought might work in getting Jesus to accept some kind of deal and not go through with this cross thing. So think about this — if there had been any disagreement between the father and the son, then I believe that the cross would never have happened, because then you would have done away with total perfection in thought between the father and the son.

I know right about here some of the bible scholars and pastors that went and got all that up-to-date learning from a lot of the universities all over the land (and I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with that as long as you don't let the professor get in the way of your heart and what God is trying to put there) may read this and are probably thinking right along here, boy, does this guy get confused when he reads the bible, but we will see in the end when he says “come up hither.” And I also know that a lot of those same ones don't even believe that's going to happen either. I think what made it such a sad day was the fact that at the end there was earthquakes and a darkness that fell over the land late in the afternoon because I believe that this was the father saying I am so pleased in my son, and a warning to mankind — don't ever forget I have the power over the whole universe that at any time I call out it will do my command. But I also think a lot of it was the fact that with all the blessings that he had poured out on mankind through all time, from the garden till that day, and so as he hung there and took his last breath his heart was broken.

But the upside to this happening was the fact that the angels in Heaven had broke out into beautiful singing there and on earth all around the cross like none that we have ever heard here on earth. So when Jesus rose from his death (and to set the record straight because some want to believe he was swooning, which means that he was in some kind of deep sleep and never really died, but in truth, breath had completely left his body, because he had truly died that day. That's right no breath no heart beat), and just like all of us when we die the spirit will leave our bodies, so his had left his body for paradise, just like he told the thief on the other cross would happen, the most beautiful thing about this whole story was just a short time later. He overcame that death and rose back to full life to be the savior of the whole world, and that is why we have to be so very careful to not take anything away from that shed blood that day and what was accomplished that day when he said it is finished.

In today's tech world, there are so many stories in the bible that maybe you should put a hash tag in there because there is so much more to every story in the bible, and so many read the highlights and try to get the full meaning, but the fact is when you use the heart to understand, then you can take away the hash tag.

But anyway, this Easter, try to put away the thoughts of colored eggs and bunnies for a moment and think about the greatest story that is in his inspired word and it was all for you and me, even if you don't think that much about it.

So may God bless everyone of you that realize the need for that Man called Jesus and the deed that he was so willing to do that day.

Bill McFerrin is a West Memphis resident with some things to say and a certain way of saying them.

By Bill McFerrin Local Commentary