“But God demonstrates his own
love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
Today is Good Friday. This is the day that Christ actually died on the cross. Every year I think about that on this
day. I try to envision and imagine how
he was treated and what he went through.
I cannot bear to think about it.
Then at 3:00 pm, which is about the time they believe that he actually
died, I concentrate on that being the
exact time that Jesus died – for me. To
me, this is the holiest of all days.
. This day is symbolic of all we
believe as Christians, the premise on which our foundation is built. This is the day that He literally laid down
His life for us.
He had been up all night,
tortured and beaten, exhausted. Jesus is
betrayed by Judas and arrested by the authorities (perhaps after midnight,
early Friday morning) He was put on
trial and the crowds shouted “crucify
him!!” He had to carry his cross all
the way to the hill where he was crucified.
Then He was crucified and had to hang there for three hours before he
finally died, all the while being taunted and ridiculed. He was thirsty and given vinegar to
drink. I cannot fathom the suffering and
pain He endured during those three miserable hours. What was He thinking? What was going through His mind as He hung
there? I know that I would be seriously
rethinking this commitment I had made. But Jesus did not change his mind in the
midst of his suffering. He didn’t
“quit”. He fulfilled the scriptures so
that we could have eternal life.
So, 'What
happened on Good Friday?' The goodness of Jesus's love and sacrifice at Calvary
is immense, permanent and priceless. It is inseparably connected to his life on
earth before that, and to his Resurrection. What happened is part of a longer
story that involves all humanity and the chosen people in particular, and it is
part of a more-than-human setting that involves Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When Jesus died, the sacrifices were all
finished, because all fulfilled in Him.
The Earth Trembled And The Veil Was Torn
In the temple a veil, a very
thick, woven curtain, separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple. When Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice
for our sins, that heavy curtain was torn from top to bottom. It was not ripped
from bottom to top, as though a man were ripping it. Instead, it was ripped
from top to bottom, because God was ripping it. God was saying, “You no longer are on the
outside. You can come in. My Son has made a way for you.”
Also at this moment, the whole
earth shook. Many ancient prophets became alive again. Many people saw them. The way that Jesus behaved in court and on the
cross, was humble. When the Roman
officer there saw this, and the other events, he said, ‘Surely, this man was the Son
of God.’
I encourage you to really think
about the day and what it means this year.
Don’t let it go without a thought.
Consider what He did for you.
Consider what Good Friday and Easter mean for all of us.
Join us at North Side Baptist Church tonight at 6:30 for our Good
Friday Lord’s Supper service. We also
will have four Easter services, Saturday @ 6:30 pm and Sunday @ 8:00,9:30, and
11:00.
Scripture to Claim:
And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. Matthew 27:51
And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. Matthew 27:51
