Some people struggle with how Christians can call today Good Friday. After all, today is the day Jesus died a horrible death on the cross. Why describe such an event as good? Why commemorate it by adorning our homes and bodies with crosses? Isn’t that morbid?
I can see where people are coming from with those questions. Normally I would totally agree. Crucifixions were terrible. They were so bad that I wonder how anybody could even witness them.
But it’s the very horror of Jesus’ crucifixion that emphasizes why today is Good Friday. Today is a good day because here we are observing the ultimate expression of God’s love for us. God the Father willingly sacrificed his Son for us. Jesus willingly suffered all this for us! They did this because they knew that this is the only way that we could live with them forever in heaven. It was crystal clear to them that there was no way anybody could save themselves. Sin had spiritually killed us all. We were dead in sin. And dead people can’t do anything.
Therefore they did it all for us. That means that Jesus didn’t just have to suffer physically on the cross. No, he had to experience the abandonment of his Father – because that was the true price for sin. It wasn’t the nails driven into his hands that caused him the greatest pain – it was when he cried, out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” There Jesus was drinking to the full the cup – the thought of which had so terrified him in the garden.
But Jesus drank that cup down to the dregs – all for us. We know that because he told us so. That is the significance of those simple words, “it is finished”. In the original Greek, that phrase consists of only one word. It was a word that was used to mark bills paid in full. In this striking way, Jesus declared that he had fully paid our debt of sin.
By raising Jesus gloriously from the dead on Easter, the Father dramatically showed that he accepted that payment. If Jesus had not paid for our sins, after repeatedly saying that is what he was going to do, there would be no way that the Father would have exalted him by raising him so gloriously. Jesus’ resurrection is our receipt proving that he truly did pay our debt.
Down through the centuries, Christians have clung tenaciously to these facts. When voices from within or without call into question the completeness of that payment, they stand firm on the fact that, because of Jesus, they can view their debt of sin as paid in full. There is no greater joy or relief than that. On the cross Jesus drowned our sins in the depths of the sea. He separated them from us as far as the east is from the west.
It is my prayer that today many people experience the great joy and relief of having a Savior who had done it all. A Savior who gives them, as his gift, free and full salvation. May today truly be good for you. To Jesus be all praise and glory.
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Amen Mark! I believe what the the Mormons don’t understand is how anything our God would do can be anything less than perfect or complete, HE he payed for our salvation fully and completely on the cross, just as he supplies all our needs from the sun to the air we breathe He to supplied what would could not, but Mormonism wants to detract from this and but their good works by enduring to the end and fulfilling church requirements ahead of the fullness of grace that God offers. It’s like Mormonism is saying thanks God for what you did but we want to add to it, you only did a partial work and so we will finish it,and then take you up on your offer of grace when we’re finished with proving ourselves righteous before you.
This isn’t just within Mormonism though mans greatest struggle is accepting is own fallen nature his own complete depravity and accepting that he is helpless without God that he can in no way justify himself before the Lord. In the end it’s about fully and completely giving all the glory to God not about doing all we can do but accepting all that he has done!
A great reminder of how special the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus are for us personally .
Mark , you said , ” Down through the centuries , Christians have clung tenaciously to these facts.”
This is true . The historical event of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is indeed a glorious fact
of history , and the written record of it has been protected down thru the centuries for us to have today
and we get to share it with others when we give them the New Testament to read . The apostles took
the news of this glorious truth to those they met in their missionary journeys and peoples lives were
changed as they turned to Jesus and became forgiven and received a right relationship with God and
eternal life —Rom 10:9-13 ; Phil 3:9; 1John 5:11-13 .
May the Mormon people come to realize that a saving relationship with God comes through direct
interaction with Jesus —Jn 14:6 ; Matt 11:28; Heb 7:25 . People who turned to Jesus , called upon
Him , after receiving the apostles preaching about Him were fully forgiven of their sins and placed
by Him into a right relationship with Him and His Father and given eternal life . Only through this Way
is eternal life still available today because the New Testament record of Jesus’ life , death and
resurrection is for all to read about . The Holy Spirit will aid the honest seeker. There simply is’nt any
need for ” additional requirements ” for receiving eternal life which prophets these days , the latter days,
try to convince people to submit to . Jesus even warned us all in advance to expect these type of men—-
Matt 24 :11 .
Oh glorious day , He is risen !!!