And those who passed by

                 derided Him,

wagging their heads

               and saying,

"You who would destroy

         the temple

and rebuild it in three days,

                  save yourself!

If You are the Son of God,

     come down from the cross."

So also the chief priests

with the scribes and elders,

mocked Him, saying,

"He saved others;

He cannot save Himself.

He is the King of Israel;

let Him come down now

               from the cross,

and we will believe in Him.

              Matthew 27. 39-42

(But if Jesus came down

         from the cross,

He would not be Savior.

This is not

         the end of the story,

but the reason why

                Jesus came.

He loves us

  enough to die for us,

not because we are so good,

   but to take our sin upon Himself,

to bring us into relationship

                      with God.

The word "excruciating"

comes from the Latin for

                "to crucify."

It means unbearably painful

            or extreme agony,

originating from

                 the crucifixion.

Without Good Friday,

     there is no Easter.)

O LORD,

Thank You that we can know You.

Thank You

   that our salvation is not based

           on what we have done,

but what You have done.

Be glorified this day

   as we humbly remember

        Your love for us.