Good Friday
The name Good Friday seems to be a misnomer. Can anything good come from death by crucifixion? Does pain have a purpose? Early in Jesus’s ministry, scoffers hurled their own ignorant beliefs: “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” And even Jesus Himself, the One crucified on “Good Friday,” once said to a seeker, “Why do you call me good? No one is good–except God alone.”
“If God is so good,” others argue, “Why would He allow something so bad to happen to His own Son?”
It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining (Luke 23:44, NIV)
Why? Love
Why, indeed? Maybe a one-word answer would suffice: LOVE. Good Friday is “good” because God is. And because God is love. When God allowed His own Son to die, He was thinking of you and me.
Jesus’s death was the only way to make us good enough—to join God’s forever family.
And that’s encouragement for a lifetime.
But now God has shown us a different way to heaven—not by “being good enough” and trying to keep his laws, but by a new way (though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago). Now God says he will accept and acquit us—declare us “not guilty”—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like (Romans 3:21-22 TLB).
Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:23-24 MSG).
All honor to God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; for it is his boundless mercy that has given us the privilege of being born again so that we are now members of God’s own family. Now we live in the hope of eternal life because Christ rose again from the dead (1 Peter 1:3 TLB).
What does Good Friday mean to you? How has Jesus’s Resurrection made a difference in your life? What does it mean to know you are a member of God’s family? If you are not a part of His family yet, would you pray today and ask Jesus to come live in your heart? Would you accept His death as payment for your sin and ask Him to forgive you? Would you receive His love and grace by faith and become His child today? He’s waiting for you to say yes.
For more encouragement and inspiration about Easter and the Resurrection, you can read these previous posts: Is Jesus Real? An Easter Prayer for You, Easter Is About Removing Stones, and Promise for Today: Empty Tomb, Full Heart.
I’m including this Easter prayer that you’ll find in one of those Easter blog posts. May you have a truly blessed Easter!
My Personal Easter Prayer for You
Lord Jesus, by faith we “see” the nail prints in your hands and feet and believe that you rose from the dead. And though our eyes can’t physically recognize you, our spirits can’t contain the emotion we feel. This Easter–and every day–we join in with scores of others shouting, “He is risen! He is risen indeed!” Thank you for your faithfulness to us, to carry out your Father’s plan. Because you live, we can face each day–each tomorrow–with joy, purpose, and hope!
Day-votedly Yours,
Rebecca
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