Friday, March 29, 2024
But Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.
Matthew 27:50-51
Today is Good Friday -
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? He could have stopped it all and got down off that cross, but Jesus did not change his mind in the midst of his suffering. 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 was 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. At the moment Jesus died, 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.”
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, ‘Truly, this man was the Son of God.’ (Matthew 27:54)
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.
