THE EASTER TRILOGY: From Palms to Pain / The Story of Good Friday // Holy Week Conversations

When the palm branches of celebration give way to the cross of suffering, what happens to our faith? Good Friday confronts us with the most challenging spiritual question: Do we still believe in Jesus when things don't go as expected?

The contrast is stark. Just days after the crowds shouted "Hosanna!" Jesus was betrayed, beaten, and crucified. For His disciples who had witnessed his miracles and power, this devastating turn of events must have shaken their faith to the core. Their teacher and friend was suffering before their eyes, and everything they believed about Him seemed to be unraveling.

We face similar faith challenges today. Life often resembles railroad tracks with good and bad running side by side—answered prayers alongside ongoing struggles, miracles in one area while still waiting in another. The question becomes whether our faith can be like those railroad ties, connecting these parallel experiences without becoming a spiritual train wreck when difficulty arrives.

Jesus prepared His followers for this very test. The night before his crucifixion, he told them, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me" (John 14:1). He knew what was coming and offered them—and us—a way through: choose to keep believing, even when understanding fails.

What makes Good Friday truly "good" is that suffering wasn't the end of the story. John, who witnessed these events firsthand, later wrote that he testified "so that you also may believe." His message echoes through centuries to remind us that our pain, like Christ's, is never the final chapter.

Join us as we explore how to maintain faith through life's darkest moments, knowing that Easter Sunday is coming. When we can say "Yes, I believe" even in our Good Fridays, we discover a faith that transcends circumstances—and a powerful testimony to share with the next generation.

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