This morning, I woke up feeling the heaviness of Good Friday.

Usually, when I write about Good Friday, I focus on how good it truly is. I write from a heart full of joy.

But this morning, I’m writing from a heart of reflection and deep gratitude.

This Easter, I’ve truly felt the weight of what this week holds. And I believe that’s the case for so many of us. Every single friend I’ve spoken to about Easter this year has shared the same sentiment: the gravity of what Easter truly is, and what these next three days really represent.

This isn’t to say that Easter is a sad story. It’s the most beautiful story of true love, sacrifice, and God’s relentless pursuit of you.

Today, Jesus was nailed to the cross.

I want to take a moment to share some of the physical realities of what Jesus endured, so we can fully grasp the weight of this sacrifice.

Around 8 to 8:30 a.m., Jesus carried His cross to Calvary, a journey of about half a mile. The cross is believed to have weighed around 300 pounds. By 9 a.m., He arrived. Nails, likely 7 to 9 inches long, were driven through His wrists and ankles, fastening Him to the cross in a position meant to torture. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., He hung there.

To breathe, Jesus would have had to push Himself up using the nails in His feet, causing unimaginable pain and exhaustion. At noon, darkness covered the land, just as Scripture said it would, and remained until 3 p.m. Some believe this was a solar eclipse. Then, at 3 p.m., Jesus cried out, “It is finished,” and an earthquake tore the veil in the Temple.

There is so much to reflect on in just that moment. But if you take away nothing else, remember this:

Jesus suffered in a way we cannot comprehend…for you.

And in that suffering, something beautiful happened.

Before Jesus, a perfect animal (often a lamb) was required as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. But Jesus, the Lamb of God, became the final, perfect sacrifice. We no longer need to go through a priest in a temple to speak with God. Jesus tore that veil. He gave us direct, intimate access to the Father.

Through His death, death itself was defeated. It is no longer our end, but the beginning of eternity with Him. We no longer have to fear what’s next, because we know we’re going home.

This is why Good Friday is good.

Jesus’ death had been prophesied for generations. Historically, His crucifixion was recorded in manuscripts dated as early as the 2nd century BC, centuries before the earliest known manuscripts of the New Testament (which date back to the 10th century AD).

Even though His people knew it had to happen, and even though He knew it had to happen, it didn’t make the suffering easier. Jesus felt fear. He felt anxiety. He felt pain.

Because while He was fully God, He was also fully human.

That makes Good Friday even more profound. An innocent man died for you and for me.

He paid a debt we could never afford. He chose to suffer because He loves us that deeply.

It’s a love greater than any earthly love we’ll ever experience.

As I reflect on Jesus’ pain and His choice to suffer, I think one reason Good Friday feels especially heavy this year is because of how easily we take our relationship with God for granted.

We say things like, “I’ll get serious about God later,” or “I just want to have fun first.”

But Jesus was only 33. He didn’t wait to fulfill His calling.

He didn’t postpone His ministry to enjoy life a little more.

He lived for God, and He died for us.

And the truth is, tomorrow is never promised. Don’t wait to give your life to Christ. Don’t wait so you can party or live without conviction. It’s not worth it.

Jesus didn’t wait to walk in His purpose. He didn’t wait to make the ultimate sacrifice.

He chose God.

Choose Him today.

Because He always chooses you.

“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.”

Isaiah 53:5 (NIV)