“If we knew as much about heaven as God does, we would clap our hands every time a Christian dies.”
— George MacDonald

When I read those words this morning, it was a big “amen”. And a reminder that such times should be for us about celebrating.

Then I got to thinking about what today is, Good Friday. If I should clap my hands every time a Christian dies, what should I do as I remember Christ’s death? He got to be reunited with His Father. Isn’t that infinitely better than “good”? Good Friday is traditionally a day of sorrow, humility and reverence. And Easter a day of celebration.

Okay, now I’m totally confused. I just Googled “christs crucifixion” and found this time line: http://www.centuryone.com/crucifixion.html. Christ died on Wednesday? And here again: http://www.ucgstp.org/lit/booklets/holidays/chronol.html. That page led to an interesting article here that goes into more detail about the chronology of events in relation to the Jewish calendar: http://www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn51/goodfriday.htm. Interesting. And WOW!

The WOW is that the last link showed to me something I seemed to have forgotten — Matthew 12:40. Until reading that, part of me wanted to tie in the joy I should feel that Christ got to be with His Father again. Totally forgotten by me were these words way earlier in Matthew:

Matthew 12:40 (New International Version) – “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Three days and three nights in the heart of the earth? For me. And I should clap? Not so much.