Welcome to Redeem the Commute. I’m Ryan, your host for this daily challenge. It’s Thursday, the day we try to apply and live out what we’ve learned this week from the Bible. This week we’ve been studying Jesus’ final week before his death. Tomorrow is Good Friday, when we’ll somberly remember his death. Here is the paragraph that changed the world:

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. (Luke 23:44-49 ESV)

For the next few days – just let that story sink in. Reflect on it.

It’s a sad story, and we usually look for happy stories as much as we can. In many churches, the idea of celebration and fun is so important, we forget to recognize it’s only possible because something good came out something so terrible.

For Jesus to rise from the dead, he had to die.

For him to take our punishment for sin, he had to be punished.

So before you get to the joy of Easter Sunday with eggs and bunnies and all the hope of spring time…pause for a couple days to remember the cost, and thank God for it.

Next week we’ll talk about the resurrection – Jesus is alive!

Challenge: How can you express your thanks to God this weekend for his death and resurrection?