Dear Friends,
As March draws to a close, we look forward not only to the beautiful weather and blossoms of springtime, but also to the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This year Easter feels very early, mostly because it is in March. Though we still had forty days to prepare our hearts, it might feel to you like it did for us: like someone pressed the fast forward button and stopped us here on Good Friday. This week, we are sharing a brief devotional for the season, and sending you into Easter weekend with a reflective poetry prompt. We hope it gives you a chance to reflect amid the holiday celebrations.
The passage we are using is from Isaiah 53. The entire chapter is beautiful, but for the sake of space we’ve only quoted verses four through six. We encourage you to read the full passage here.
Isaiah 53:4–6
[4] Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
[5] But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
[6] All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. (ESV)
As I (Julia) sit here with a newborn sleeping babe in my arms, it is hard to forget that in December we were just welcoming Christ as a tiny bundle of hope. Now, on Good Friday, we see Him nailed to a cross, bearing the weight of all transgressions. And He, even as a grown man, was still as innocent and free of sin as a new baby. Despite that, He bears our griefs and sorrows and shoulders the burden of sin so that we, his sheep, can return to Him.
The gravity of the cross is that without it, we are all sheep gone astray. Without a savior to bear iniquity, we’d remain lost, perhaps even unaware of how far from God we are. Good Friday breaks my heart. The dark clouds, my savior Jesus with his head bowed, eyes closed, a weeping mother at his feet. Imagine being there to witness the fulfillment of this passage in Isaiah, but not knowing Sunday was coming. Imagine the joy of seeing His face once again, conqueror of death, still the same man you’d known all your life. His hands bear the marks of his suffering, yet with those very wounds we are healed. It is a beautiful, terrible thing.
For this reflective poetry prompt, try writing a lament for Good Friday. If you feel so inclined, you can write a second poem expressing the joy of Resurrection Sunday. Or, make one poem that explores the seeming contradiction of emotions we face this weekend as Christians.
These are just starting points for using poetry to reflect this holiday. As always, feel free to comment below to share any poetry inspired by the prompts, or tag us on social media if you share them. We’d love to see them.
Have a blessed week!