Daily Devotional: Good Friday: “The Gift of the Cross”

Bible Verse: Isaiah 53:5

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

Reflection:

Today, we remember the depth of Jesus’ love—the love that endured betrayal, pain, abandonment, and ultimately, the cross. It is the kind of love that doesn't seek comfort but gives itself fully, willingly, to restore us. This is the heart of Good Friday: not sorrow without hope, but a holy surrender that leads to resurrection.

You are not forgotten in your pain, your silence, your waiting. Christ entered into the very depths of human suffering so that no darkness would ever be too deep for His light to reach you. He bore it all—for you. And in that sacred exchange, He gave us peace, healing, and the promise of eternal communion with Him.

As we walk through this day, may we not rush past the gravity of the sacrifice. May we pause. May we remember. May we lay our burdens at the foot of the cross, trusting that what died there was not just Christ—but everything in us that keeps us from God.

Prayer:

Jesus, thank You for the cross. For bearing my shame, for enduring the pain, for choosing love when You could have chosen escape. Help me sit with You today—not to turn away from the suffering, but to see through it to the beauty of Your mercy. I lay my sorrows at Your feet. By Your wounds, I am healed. Amen.