https://vimeo.com/406361505

You and I have been living with this 6-foot thing called “social distancing” for many weeks now. Or as some introverts are calling it, “Heaven on earth.”

The truth is all this social distancing has caused us all to realize how much we took for granted just being together and being outside.

I feel like this meme captured it well!

In this pandemic, 6 feet evidently makes all the difference.

As we think about how dark this COVID-19 virus has become, there’s also a few sparks of light. 

• People are getting more intentional and focused with their time, energy and resources.  In this season of separation so many people are reaching out and serving others. It’s inspiring as we really do become the hands and feet of Jesus. 

Another bright spot in this darkness …

• Churches all around the world, large and small, are embracing technology and actually making more people aware of the love and sacrifice of Jesus by moving so much ministry online.
• And it could be that you are meeting family members that you forgot lived in your house, because you’ve been so busy for so long!

We are all being reminded of the things that matter most. And it took a pandemic, something dark, to help many of those good things come into the light.

You see when Jesus went to the cross, He also went to battle against a pandemic of sorts. The world was infected with sin. 

Philippians 2 says Jesus “let go of his grip on heaven” (where there was no pandemic / no sin) “to come to earth” (where the pandemic of sin was running rampant.)

And Jesus …

• Walked with us …
• Talked with us …
• Ate with us … 
• JESUS GOT CLOSE TO US!

And then in a move that no one could imagine … he took on our sin and he went to the cross.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. ~ 2 Cor. 5:21

He took on the virus, to save us from the virus.

No one fully understood why he needed to travel down that road that Friday. But today we understand. We realize the perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was the ONLY vaccine for the pandemic of sin. 

Good Friday isn’t a holiday we really want,
but it is a holiday that we really need. 

Think of it this way: We want this whole 6ft social distancing thing to come to an end, we want this stay at home order thing to end. We want to get past it and get on with things.  We want to get back to life, and back to work, being with friends. It’s hard to be cooped up in the house, restricted, and we’re not sure how much longer we can do this. 

BUT …

• If 6ft really will make a difference.
• If 6ft really will stop the spread and flatten the curve
• If 6ft really will save people lives.

We will do it. 

And I would suggest to you on this Good Friday, 
that is also why Jesus did it.

Jesus knew his sacrifice would save our lives.

Researchers say that the average male height is almost 6 feet tall, give or take a few inches. They also say that your wingspan – from fingertip to fingertip is a one to one ratio. 

That means if Jesus fit our height averages today, the distance from Jesus’ fingertip to fingertip is about 6 feet. 

Jesus spread out his arms 6 feet on the cross
in an effort to defeat the pandemic of sin
and show us what love really looks like. 

Today, there is a literal and metaphorical 6 ft of separation in our lives. There is the literal 6 feet of separation that we must have between ourselves and others during this crisis. And that is a challenge. But even more challenging and perplexing and frustrating oftentimes is the other areas of our lives where we experience separation.

• The 6 feet we feel between addiction and recovery.

Sometimes that 6ft feels like 6 miles! You are so close to recovery … but yet it feels so far away.

And it’s the same way in our homes …

• That 6 feet we feel at times between our self and our spouse who lives in the same house.

We are so close to each other in proximity / often less than 6ft / but that 6ft. can feel like 6,000 miles when we are not on the same page relationally, emotionally, spiritually and physically.

• And what about the 6 feet we often feel between our self and God … sometimes God … feels like He’s a million miles away. 

And we wonder, how do I …

• Overcome this addiction 
• Repair things with my spouse or kids or neighbor or boss or best-friend
• Get close to God again?

Here’s the deal … that is what Good Friday is all about.

That’s why we call it “good.”

You see Good Friday presents to us historical evidence that a man shattered the barrier that separates us from so many good people and things in our lives. 

Jesus is THE WAYMAKER when there seems to be no way. And because of Jesus we can come close to God again. You see friends we MUST pause and realize today that …

The dark road that Jesus traveled to the cross on Friday,
is also the road that brought us back to God on Sunday.

It’s true we are living in a “Friday” world right now. Basically every day feels like a Friday. It’s pretty dark, and sad, and scary. There are all kinds of unknowns … 

It’s definitely Friday … but don’t forget friends … Sunday is coming!

God bless you and have a fantastic Easter weekend.