Friday

A couple of weeks ago I went down to the Chapel in the Woods, a simple, natural clearing on our church's back property where we have placed terracing and benches. It’s a great place for reflection and prayer.

I had gone there on a Tuesday evening a few minutes before others would come for prayer and found the benches already occupied. The threesome sitting there greeted me when I walked up. I told them that I was a pastor (and they didn’t run away, screaming). They introduced themselves, all high schoolers, and we chatted for a few minutes.

During our brief time together I mentioned that Easter was coming and invited them to the 6:30am Sunrise Service that would be held right there in the Chapel in the Woods. They seemed genuinely interested. Then I told them about our Good Friday evening service.

When I said “Good Friday” one of the teens had a quizzical look on her face, so I explained, “We call the day Jesus died ’Good Friday’”, immediately realizing how incongruous that must sound to someone who doesn’t know the story.

So, I proceeded to explain (the two minute version) that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He paid the price for our forgiveness. He invites everyone to place their trust in Him for eternal life. Good Friday is good for us.

When I finished, the gal with the quizzical look on her face turned thoughtful and said, “I’ve never heard that before.”

On this Good Friday, listen to the story as if you’ve never heard it before.

Jesus of Nazareth lived a perfect life. He taught as no one had ever taught, loved as no one had ever loved, and performed miracles by the power of God.

At the end of the His three year public ministry, Jesus turned His face toward Jerusalem and walked into what He knew would be a crucible of unparalleled suffering.

On the last night of His life (Thursday) He was betrayed by a friend, delivered over to His own people and condemned for blasphemy. During that trial He was denied three times by another friend.

Early on Friday morning He was turned over to the civil authorities who condemned Him to death by crucifixion for treason.

He endured a brutal beating called “scourging” (called “the halfway death”) and then was force marched from the place of beating to the place of execution. There, soldiers nailed His hands and feet to a wooden cross and raised the cross to an upright position.

Jesus hung on the cross for six hours on Friday. While on the cross He took care of His mother and gave salvation to a fellow sufferer. He spoke a word of forgiveness to His tormentors, suffered physically like few ever have and suffered spiritually like no one ever has.

At the end, having accomplished the work He came to earth to do of offering Himself as a sacrifice for your sins and mine, He cried out, “It is finished” - and breathed His last.

Today is Friday. We call it Good Friday. At first blush it is an odd name for us, Jesus’ followers, to give to the day our Lord died.

On THAT Friday not one of Jesus’ disciples would have dreamed of calling it “good.” Not then. But that was Friday.

By late on Sunday morning, of course, everything had changed! Jesus was alive!! And today you and I now see the events of that Friday in a whole new light.

Nothing has changed concerning the suffering of Jesus. It was still an unfathomably terrible day of torment for Him. But now, in light of the empty cross, we see the redemptive meaning behind the cross. And we call it good.

On the cross, Jesus suffered and died to bring us to God. He died, not as a martyr and not as an example. He died as a sacrifice. He took the punishment that was due us. And now, anyone who believes in Him (John 3:16) has eternal life.

Good Friday is good for you IF you have believed in Jesus. If you have never placed the treasure of your trust in Him for eternal life, do so now.

Run to Jesus and find mercy, forgiveness, a clean slate and a fresh start. Let His, “It is finished” be applied to your soul. Trust Him for salvation and you will understand just how GOOD Good Friday really is.