Good Friday

Henry Gariepy says, “When we truly encounter the suffering of the Son of God on our behalf, we can never again be the same.  Such amazing love overwhelms us with awe, wonder and adoration.”

I can understand how someone can question God’s love when we look at the difficult experiences of our lives, but I cannot understand how anyone can doubt God’s love when we look at the events of the cross.

Jesus is arrested around 1:30 a.m. and by 3:00 p.m. that same day He is dead.  In less than 14 hours He is tried by illegal courts, flogged, walked the 650 yards to Golgotha—the place of the skull, crucified on a cross and dies. 

On the Via Dolorosa—The Road of Sorrows, He speaks to the women, and is aided by Simon of Cyrene.

Tradition tells that as the first nails were being pounded into His flesh Jesus makes His first statement from the cross; “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”  At this moment that must have felt like the brink of hell, Jesus cries to His Father in prayer on our behalf.  What greater love can exist?  He speaks six more recorded statements from the cross.  After six grueling hours, he dies at 3:00 p.m.  The temple curtain veiling the Holy of Holies is torn from top to bottom.  Amidst the mockery, darkness, earthquakes, risen saints visiting Jerusalem; there are two who express faith in Christ—one of the thieves on the cross and a Roman Centurion. 

Joseph and Nicodemus come forward to care for the body of Jesus and the Religious leaders insist on guards and seal at the tomb which ends up confirming the resurrection.  The women watch and plan to anoint Jesus’ body properly, but they have to wait because the sun is setting and it was time to obey the law and rest on Sabbath.

How does your heart respond to the events of Good Friday?  Are you indifferent as most of the Roman Guards, or do you mock others for believing that Jesus literally died on that cross to save us from our sins?  Do you believe, like the thief who died that day and like the Roman Guard who knew only that God was at work in these events?  The work of the cross was completed for Jesus on Good Friday.  Jesus did His part for our redemption.  Have you confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believed in your heart that God raised Him from the dead?  Then you are saved (Romans 10:9).  When you are saved by faith you do your part in completing the work of the cross in your life.

(Matthew 26:47-27; Mark 14:43-15; Luke 22:47-23; John 18-19)