"IT'S FRIDAY, BUT SUNDAY'S COMING!" -- Devotional for June 22, from "Good Seeds"

And when the crowd that had gathered for the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow. This all took place on Friday afternoon. But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb. As they stood there puzzled, two angels suddenly appeared, clothed in dazzling robes. They asked the terrified women, "Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn't here! He is risen from the dead! (Luke 23:48,54; 24:1,2,

This is the title of a dynamic sermon by Tony Campolo. It was on a Friday that our Savior was crucified. Friday speaks of the sins and sorrows of this life. From the cross, just before He succumbed to death, Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” And then He died. He took the ultimate punishment for sin, your sin and mine. Physical death was not the end of it, for He went to the depths of hell, suffering in an instant the eternal death that is the price for sin. The most accurate definition of hell is, “separation from God.” Christ’s death began when His Father turned His face away, unable to look on the sin of the world borne by His Son. Of course, there are those who say they’d just as soon be separated from God, as they’re not on very friendly terms with Him anyway. To such ones let us clarify: separation from GOD means separation from all that is GOOD! If they joke and say, “I’d rather go to hell anyway – that’s where all my friends will be! Ha-Ha!” – we must remind them that if friendship is a good thing, it can’t exist in hell. Separation –- it’s the law of this life, and the tragedy of the next, unless…we could somehow be rescued from this fate literally “worse than death!” Remember, it’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming. It was on Sunday that our Lord came out of the tomb, alive forevermore, proving once and for all that He is stronger than death! His Sunday,His resurrection day, came. But ours is yet future, the day we will be raised from the dead, or lifted off this earth, and given bodies incapable of disease, aging or death. That’s when we will see our Savior’s face in all His glory. And that’s when we will see one another again, nevermore to say goodbye. That’s the next time implied in the promise to Christians that they will never see one another for the last time. When Christians part they say, “I’ll see you again, either here, there…or in the air!” If Earth means separation, Heaven means reunion. Any delights we may experience in this life are at best only a small sampling of the confection of perfection that Jesus Himself promised to anyone and everyone who will receive His payment for their sin, and believe on Him as the only way to the Father, to heaven, to eternal bliss.