It's Good Friday, but Easter Sunday is coming

Today is Good Friday, the day Christians observe the death of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.

It will be an unusual Good Friday and Easter weekend. Churches will not meet in person for Holy Week and Easter celebrations. Instead, live streamed services will be the primary vehicle with some drive-in services also planned. But it does not take away from Easter's significance.

The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is not about a building. It's not an outfit or special lunch. And it's not a family gathering -- though we certainly appreciate these traditions. Good Friday and Easter Sunday are about the Son of God's sacrifice on the cross so those who believe in Him can have eternal life.

"Sunday's Comin'" by S.M. Lockridge is a masterful work that depicts the crucifixion of Christ but with a promise that Sunday is coming. It's a reminder that even though we struggle now with fallout from the coronavirus, there's hope for the future. And more importantly, Christ offers an eternal hope. His hope is what we celebrate this Easter weekend.

Here is the text to Pastor Lockridge's poem "Sunday's comin'":

It's Friday

Jesus is praying

Peter's a sleeping

Judas is betraying

But Sunday's comin'

It's Friday

Pilate's struggling

The council is conspiring

The crowd is vilifying

They don't even know

That Sunday's comin'

It's Friday

The disciples are running

Like sheep without a shepherd

Mary's crying

Peter is denying

But they don't know

That Sunday's a comin'

It's Friday

The Romans beat my Jesus

They robe him in scarlet

They crown him with thorns

But they don't know

That Sunday's comin'

It's Friday

See Jesus walking to Calvary

His blood dripping

His body stumbling

And his spirit's burdened

But you see, it's only Friday

Sunday's comin'

It's Friday

The world's winning

People are sinning

And evil's grinning

It's Friday

The soldiers nail my Savior's hands

To the cross

They nail my Savior's feet

To the cross

And then they raise him up

Next to criminals

It's Friday

But let me tell you something

Sunday's comin'

It's Friday

The disciples are questioning

What has happened to their King

And the Pharisees are celebrating

That their scheming

Has been achieved

But they don't know

It's only Friday

Sunday's comin'

It's Friday

He's hanging on the cross

Feeling forsaken by his Father

Left alone and dying

Can nobody save him?

Ooooh

It's Friday

But Sunday's comin'

It's Friday

The earth trembles

The sky grows dark

My King yields his spirit

It's Friday

Hope is lost

Death has won

Sin has conquered

and Satan's just a laughin'

It's Friday

Jesus is buried

A soldier stands guard

And a rock is rolled into place

But it's Friday

It is only Friday

Sunday is a comin'!