Good Friday

Today we observe Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, the Friday before Jesus was raised back to life from the dead, the Friday that Jesus died.

Jesus died.  Why is that something we remember?  Why do we call it good?

Jesus knew from the beginning that He would sacrifice Himself for His creation.  When Adam and Eve chose to sin, God already had a plan and was putting it into action.  God told Satan that there would be enmity between him and the woman, between his seed and her seed.  "He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel." (Genesis 3:15 NASB)  A Savior was promised to come through a woman.  And that woman was Mary.

Jesus was born miraculously by a virgin, specifically chosen to be His mother.  He was perfect.  Not once did He sin.  Not once did He give in to temptation.  Jesus, fully human and fully God, could not sin because He had to be the perfect sacrifice for sin.  God cannot tolerate sin.  Sin requires blood to cover it.  Throughout the old testament, people made sacrifices to God for various sins.  But none of them were permanent.  Only the blood of a perfect man could fully and permanently cover the sins of everyone who ever lived and would ever live.  That man had to be God because only God can remain sinless.

God Himself came to earth and lived among His creation.  He came with purpose.  "...The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  (Matthew 20:28 NASB) He came to serve and to die.  He knew His purpose and He fulfilled it.

At the Last Supper, Jesus tells His disciples to remember Him until He comes.  Those of us who are followers of Jesus, still remember Him.  This is why we take communion.  We remember His death, why He died, what He gave for us.  His blood was shed to cover our sins.  His body was broken to take our punishment.  (To clarify, no bones were actually broken.  He was so badly beaten that He was unrecognizable.)  He knew what He faced would be extremely difficult to bear.  He spent hours asking His Father if this was truly necessary.  If there was any other way, to spare Him the horrid day before Him.  But, still, in obedience to His Father, Jesus chose to do His will.  Being tried and sentenced to crucifixion, He was mocked, whipped, beaten, and suffered much more than any of us in America could imagine.

The soldiers stretched out Jesus' arms and drove heavy nails into his wrists, and into his feet.  The cross was wooden, rough, full of splinters, digging into His back.  A crown of sharp, painful thorns pierced into His forehead.  His lungs burning as He labored to breathe.  God, His Father, had to turn away and leave His Son to die alone.  "...My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46 NASB)

At any moment, Jesus could have straightened everyone out, told them He was God and climbed off the cross to prove it.  But He didn't.  He chose to be silent.  He chose to suffer.  He chose to die.

But why is this a good thing?  Why do we call this Good Friday?

Because I am a sinner.  I deserve hell as much as anyone.  But God doesn't want me to spend eternity in hell.  Hell is very real.  God created it for Satan and his followers.  But sinners cannot be allowed into heaven.  God cannot have sin in His presence.  Sin and God cannot dwell together.  Therefore, all sinners - all people - are destined for hell.  There is no such thing as being good enough.  Good people don't go to heaven.  Good people are still sinners and are still heading to hell.  One sin keeps you from entering heaven.

Is there any hope?

This is why Jesus died.  He is the perfect sacrifice to cover all sin.  Only those who believe Jesus as the substitue for them on the cross are cleansed from sin and are promised eternal life in heaven.  Jesus already paid for your way into heaven.  I know I don't deserve heaven.  I know that I deserve the cross and I deserve hell.  I know that God loves me so much that He died for me - for ME! - so that I would not have to pay for my own sin.  It is good that Jesus died.  Without His death, I would spend eternity in hell.

The story doesn't end there, of course.  Sunday, we will celebrate Easter.  Jesus did not stay dead.  He was raised back to life, walked the earth in His glorified body, and ascended to heaven.  How important is His resurrection?  "O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?"  (1 Corinthians 15:55 NASB)  If Jesus were still dead, death would have the victory.  There would be no life to hope for.  When Jesus came back to life, He conquered death.  This made eternal life possible.  Those of us who trust Jesus as our Savior will not see death - we will simply go from life to life.

Is your Friday good?

Mine is good.  This is Good Friday, indeed.