Jerusalem on Good Friday

I woke up Friday morning like any other day and it didn't really sink in that it was Good Friday until...I sat in New Testament class reading the end of Luke which talks about Jesus's trial before Pilate and the last days of his life. Tamarra raised her hand and said something like, "...wait, wasn't this happening right now." We all stopped and looked at the clock. It was almost 9:00am the time at which Jesus would have stood before Pilate. At 12:00pm he would have been put upon the cross and at 6:00pm taken down. We stopped our class and sang a few hymns in remembrance of Christ. As we sang I looked out the window imagining Christ carrying his cross through those streets, it became more real and even more heartbreaking.

After class we arrived at the gate of the Old City in hopes of seeing some of the processions taking place. We missed most of it, but as I was walking toward the main street in the Christian corridor I couldn't help but think these are the streets he walked carrying his cross around this time many years ago. It is unbelievable to think about...as we stopped at the main road the Women's Procession was taking place and a small group of women were carrying a big wooden cross that must have been heavy as it seemed to weigh them down. That has so much meaning alone...sometimes our crosses are too heavy to carry but because the Savior carried his cross and suffered we have him to count on when our crosses become too heavy. We made our way to the Holy Seplechure and that was where the masses of people were. People of many different faiths all gathering to commemerate the saddest moments in the history of the world.

Never before have I learned and focused so much on the crucifixion as I have always been taught to focus on the fact that he is RISEN. And I do believe that is incredibly important. However, never has all that he suffered been so real to me before. I think the understanding of what he went through has helped me to have even more love for my Savior. I did not know this before but Christ did not only suffer for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane but again on the cross. He reached the lowest of lows as the Father withdrew from him and he experienced what it was truly like to be alone. He did that for us so he would know what it felt like to be completely alone, to not only suffer physical death but spiritual as well. This makes me even more grateful for the Savior of the world and all that he did for me and for everyone. Tomorrow is Easter sunday and I am so grateful to be able to attend sunrise service and services throughout the Holy Land commemorating the fact that He is Risen and He Lives.