I was raised Catholic and on Good Friday I knew that: first, I don’t eat meat, and second, I was remembering Jesus’s death on a cross.
There was a part of me that thought, ignorantly, that Jesus used to “not be here” every Good Friday. I also used to think, I don’t know what’s so “good” about someone being crucified. It wouldn’t be until much later in life, when I finally had a relationship with Christ, and a better understanding of scripture that I knew “good” wasn’t a big enough word to describe the events we remember on Easter weekend.
The gruesomeness of the cross, the pain that Jesus endured is not what is “good” on this Friday that commemorates HIS sacrifice, it’s that it’s not us up there. It’s not me, rightly, paying for the sins I’ve committed. It’s “good” because it’s not you. What Jesus endured, you deserve. I deserve. And, to pretend otherwise is foolishness.
The pain of the cross was suffered on our behalf. What we remember today, is that God made a way for us to be redeemed. There isn’t another way.
Every covenant required bloodshed. Every sacrifice does too. Jesus, willingly dying for all of humanity, was both the perfect sacrifice, and a new covenant. A promise from God that only HE can keep, that who so ever believes in Christ will not be separated from God for eternity, but have eternal life. Jesus wasn’t sent here to sentence us to death and torture (we did that ourselves) HE came to rescue us from that.
It’s a good Friday because your debt has been paid in full. It’s a good Friday because God, in HIS love, provided a way for us to be with HIM. It’s a good Friday, because on that cross the Lord of creation demonstrated His perfect, holy, and complete plan for HIS creation. We, were created in the image of God. We, distorted that image with sin. HE… can restore that original image… but only because of what we remember on this very good Friday.
HE paid it all. HE completed the work. HE is good…
Thank you Jesus. and brothers and sisters… Sunday is coming.