Remembering the ‘Good’ in Good Friday
Originally posted in “Story Behind the Still” Wordpress Blog on March 30th, 2018
The story of Good Friday is not always easy to talk about. Why talk about the messiness and brutality of the cross in light of the resurrection on Sunday? While it may be hard to talk about, it’s important to go into hard places and uncomfortable subjects such as the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus Christ because that is what Jesus did when He went to the cross—He didn’t shy away from that which was hard. In fact, He went all the way to Hell and back for it.
Jesus being killed on the cross is a huge part of the Good News of the Gospel. The death element of this story acknowledges and reminds us that our sin is deserving of punishment and separation from God. So often we cower from sermons too harsh and try to soften the offensiveness of the Gospel. But the things is, the gospel is offensive. The gospel is beautiful. The gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, is the way to eternal life. We’re uncomfortable with our sin being the bad guy in the story, so we minimize it.
The story of Jesus really takes a turn when the very hope and answer to the Old Testament scriptures is killed before everyone’s eyes. The one who came to save the world was killed. Everything became dark. Jesus was fully man as He took on the sin of the world and was fully separated from God. God had to forsake His own Son in order for us to never be forsaken by Him (Mark 15:33-34). It is easy to pity Jesus for the treatment He endured when we think His treatment is the focus of the story. But the focus of the story is that sin deserved this treatment and had to be put to death. The focus is that the sacrifice made in order to atone for the brokenness in us and in this world.
“[Jesus said], ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised’” – Luke 9:22 (ESV).
“And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do’’” – Luke 23:34 (ESV)
Is it not incredibly apparent that for the glory of the resurrection of Jesus to sink in we must realize that from this darkness came the most extraordinary light? Can we not see the world is without hope unless the God of the universe is, in fact, real and had to DEFEAT death itself so that we could be saved?
Jesus was carrying the cross when He made note of this:
“And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28 But turning to them Jesus said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.’” Luke 23:27-28 (ESV).
When we realize that Jesus paid this price for our benefit we can weep not in tears of mourning but in utter joy to celebrate the immeasurable love of Jesus and our Heavenly Father. When we realize that He endured, silently and willingly, every beating so we wouldn’t have to, the only appropriate response is to fall upon our knees, and repent and believe that Jesus is Lord, and worthy is the Lamb who was slain (Revelation 5:12)! What a Good Friday it is!
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled with God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” – Romans 5:6-11 (ESV).
So what is the message behind this Good Friday? It is that we have a Good and Just Father that will go to incredible lengths to ensure that we have the chance to not be separated from Him. This Friday is Good because we are helpless to have any good in this world unless it comes from the Father (Mark 10:18). Sunday is coming but Friday is here.
Our sin is offensive to God. The grace that comes is the only thing that allows us to receive this gift. Let it be clear, we do not deserve this gift. I don’t deserve it. You don’t deserve it. We don’t deserve it. Every single one of us deserves the beating and death that Jesus took for our sins. Yet, through repentance and belief that Jesus is Lord and through the grace of God, we will be counted as blameless before the Father through the seal of the Holy Spirit giving us eternal life (Romans 10:9, Ephesians 1:13-14). Wow.
Look into your heart today. What about this tugged on your heart? Was there anger? Sadness? Confusion? Awe and wonder? Whatever may be running through your head, know that God can handle any and all of your questions and/or objections.
The message is simple: We are eternally separated from God because of our sins and are deserving of permanent separation from the Father. But, God wants us so much that He sent His one and only Son, who lived the life God meant for all of us, to die the death we deserve so that in Him, by confessing with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in our heart, we may spend eternity with God on earth as it is in Heaven (John 3:16, Romans 10:9, Matt. 6:10).
Do you want that? Do you want the love that is shown to us on the cross? If you do, accept the free gift. It is available to all who believe.
