Good Friday
Sundays are pivotal moments in the life of Christians. We gather together to praise Jesus as the Lord of life, the One who defeated sin and death. Sundays are the day of worship for us because it was on Sunday morning—the first day of the week, the Bible says—that Jesus rose from the dead. After leaving the tomb behind, He would appear to many, meet with His disciples for encouragement and a charge to go into all the world witnessing, and then ascend to the authoritative right hand of God.
All of this happens, though, because He first died. Jesus was executed as a criminal by the Jewish leaders of His day through the Roman system for punishment on the Friday before He would resurrect. They saw Him as “bad” for His teachings that challenged their self-serving systems, and they wanted Him eliminated for His claims that He was God come to save them. But that is exactly who He is, and that is exactly what He came to do. Based off that you can easily say that He is “good”, not bad.
The Crucifixion by Fra Angelico
His death disturbed many, causing many to believe that their hopes of salvation were lost. This was a very bad thing, and a Friday that would be bad in their minds for years to come—or so they thought.
Jesus had to die because He was the only one who could cover the debt that our sinfulness had racked up with our Righteous and Holy God. Without His sacrifice that brings restoration with God, we would be in a bad—no, awful—situation. We would be dead in our sins, separated from God, and without the hope of eternity. But because of His sacrifice we are alive in Jesus, brought close to God, and filled with abundant life for eternity. That’s GOOD!
That would redeem that Friday that was so bad, so awful, and make it good that He would give His life for you and for me. Not to mention He would raise from the dead and His life would be restored. The only one who loses in this situation are those who would choose fear, sin, death. Those who win are those who choose faith, righteousness, and life.
So that bad Friday is really a Good Friday, because what God did in and through Jesus Christ has saved us from our sins and saved us unto God. What a Good Friday, indeed.
—Pastor Whit
Read more inspirational messages regarding faith by checking out past Whitt’s End articles.