Good Friday

Today is Good Friday. On a Friday, just about 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ was put to death on a Roman cross outside of Jerusalem, at Golgotha. On Thursday night, Jesus had dinner with his disciples, went to pray, was arrested, tried, and sentenced to death. During all of this, Jesus was betrayed, deserted, mocked, beaten, lied about, and treated horribly. Sometime Friday morning He was nailed to a cross through his hands and feet, and He was hung up to die. He was crucified between two criminals. Late in the afternoon, Jesus died. What’s good about a Friday like that?

However, on that Friday, what happened at the cross was much worse than what I’ve described above. God the Father poured out His wrath for sinners on His Son. In doing this, Jesus was rejected by His Father. On the cross, Jesus cries, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) He was tortured, murdered and abandoned. What’s good about a Friday like that?

Jesus is what is good about a Friday like that. In fact, all of God is what is good about a Friday like that. In Wayne Grudem’s book Bible Doctrine, it says, “The goodness of God means that God is the final standard of good, and that all that God is and does is worthy of approval.” (Page 90) I love that last statement, “all that God is and does is worthy of approval” for it helps to understand Good Friday. Out of his goodness, God the Father sent Jesus for that Friday so that he might save us. “The Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.” (1 John 4:14) And through the cross, the Son, out of his goodness did exactly as His Father wanted because he loved his Father and he loved His people. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) What’s good about a Friday like that? The goodness of God is on display in our crucified savior, Jesus.

On that Friday, the son of God died for sinners like me. He fully paid for all of the sins for all believers for all time. “All that God is and does is worthy of approval.” How do we celebrate or commemorate this day of God’s goodness? We bow down and worship our good God who made that Friday, the best Friday ever. “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 106:1)

Prayer: What can we bring to you Lord Jesus, today as we remember your death on the cross? All we can offer is our praise and worship. Like the throng in heaven we sing “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9,10)

Amen

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