It is good Friday today, and I’ve gathered some articles from the week for your enjoyment and meditation. There is a heavier balance of Christian-based writing here, which is apropos given the day. But first, a note about today…

Today my kids asked about why we celebrate ‘Good Friday’.  They understood the why but didn’t know the moniker ‘Good Friday’ corresponded to the day Jesus died. Once they made the connection, it was obvious to them, because they are children who 1. aren’t tainted yet with the world’s reasoning and 2. understand their own need of saving.

They understood what we all need to come to grips with once again today: we are sinners who needed a sacrifice, an atonement, a payment for our sins – someone to die in our place. Jesus did that on Good Friday. Believing that this sacrifice alone is sufficient and able to save you, is what God calls us to in His Word. This belief is called “faith” and is what saves you from eternal death – it is what the Christian Gospel is all about. “Gospel” means “good news”, and while on the surface it is odd to think of a man being brutally killed 2000 years ago as “good”, it is good for us because without that death we would not have life. Jesus did this willingly – He surrendered His life on His own terms. If you read the Gospel accounts this becomes evident.

For those of you who wonder how God can allow evil, pain, and suffering in the world, it is profitable for you to wonder why He allowed His Son to bear in His body the greatest evil ever committed. God not only “allowed” it, He ordained it. He used the evil of men to bring about the greatest most glorious good ever known to man – eternal salvation (see Acts 2:23 and Peter’s sermon).

I hope you have come to grips with these great truths on this grim and glorious day. Now, on to your Weekend Reading:

R.C. Sproul on the ‘Curse Motif’ in Scripture. If you haven’t heard this before, it’s worth the listen.

Ligonier Ministries is featuring one of Sproul’s new hymns ‘Heavy is Our Savior’s Cross’ – part of the album he recently released called ‘Glory to the Holy One’ which I’ve really enjoyed recently.

In February John Piper posted this article called ‘How Can You Know the Bible is True?’ and I’ve been meaning to post it here. It’s really good. He deals with the ‘Internal Witness of the Spirit’ and what that means exactly…

My friend Josiah wrote and encouraging blog a few weeks ago aimed at Christians called ‘You Have Been Pre-Qualified‘

Jon Bloom writes ‘Not My Will Be Done’ in a Maundy Thursday Reflection.

But what is Maundy Thursday?  The Kuyperian Commentary guys have a good, mercifully short, post on this. 

Bloom also has a piece that is worth bookmarking and coming back to a few times called ‘Laying Aside the Weight of “I’ll Never Change”‘

From a few months back, I finally read a Gospel Coalition post called ‘3 Ways Not to Use Greek in Bible Study’ and found it helpful.

The 10 year anniversary of Terri Schiavo’s death was this week. I found an old article where R.C. Sproul was quoted as saying that America has entered a new age of barbarism. Kate and I also listened to Sproul’s podcast on throwback Thursday from which the article was drawn.

Interesting BBC article on how scientists are finding cures for modern “super-bugs” in ancient natural remedies. (h/t Matt Ferris).

Trevin Wax laments the inconsistency of Americans who are grappling with the story of Michelle Wilkins this week. 

All the hubbub in the national news has been mainly concentrated on 1. gay people freaking out at Indiana and Arkansas’ protection of religious freedom (their militant behavior has had side effects) and 2. the Obama Administration’s frolicking in the fission filled fields of foolishness and (so to be) failure – this time talking about Iran (in case a hundred other failures came to your mind). AIPAC statement on the “framework” John “purple heart” Kerry has been working on.  Everyone I know is supportive of the administration working toward a solution here, its just their willingness to risk total annihilation by ignoring history and siding with people who’d love to destroy our country – and would do so if they had the capability (only after first obliterating Israel) – that bothers me. No big deal though.

Also this week…Hill-arious statement from RNC chief on Hillary Clinton’s email lawlessness.

Interesting article from the NY Times on how education alone really doesn’t shrink income inequality. This of course is based on the premise that so-called “income inequality” is something we need to fix, or even can fix.  The heart of modern liberalism is that rich people make too much money and need to be gauged of their wealth, which then goes to the government (the only true and fair arbitrator of all good and fairness) who will then re-distribute the wealth to the poor – so long as they vote democrat, are union members, support killing babies and old people, and are cool with homosexuality.

My theory on why Americans don’t value life: our educational system has sold the lie that we are all grown up germs for so long now that young people cannot reconcile this teaching with any motive for living. As you might recall, Brittany Maynard didn’t value her own life, and so decided to end it on “her own terms” a few months back. Well during that controversy, another lady with terminal cancer pleaded with Brittany not to commit suicide, but to enjoy the last days of her life as a testament to its value etc. That brave lady, Kara Tippetts, has now died.  Good luck getting through this article unscathed…Amazingly, Tippetts’ wisdom would have possibly saved Maynard because just this week scientists announced an amazing breakthrough that would have helped Maynard. This is a lesson for mankind. We try to desperately to determine our own destinies, when we cannot possibly do so. There is only One who holds the world in His hands.

Finally, there was a lot of silliness on the web surrounding April Fools day this week, one of my favorites was the front page of Amazon – a through back to 1999! (h/t my Katie):