"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance; that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
On Good Friday, we stand in awe of Him who willingly suffered and died by crucifixion to pay the price for our sin. He is both offerer and offering, giving Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins (1 John 1:10). Easter does not erase what Good Friday is but is the acknowledgement that what was promised has been fulfilled and the sacrifice offered accepted as payment in full. In German, for example, the day is called Karfreitag, or “Sorrowful Friday.” Truly it is that. As the hymns remind us -- who can pass by that cross without being moved to sorrow for the sin for which He suffered there. It is good only because of what that suffering accomplished and not because it was not hard to see, hard to proclaim, and hard to observe. Yet, observe we do for there is salvation in no other than in Him who was crucified for us.
Sin cannot be wished away. The law cannot be satisfied by empty promises or failed attempts to keep its word. We are prisoners of our sin and because of that sin we are also prisoners of death. This is the law that must be spoken for the cross to make sense and it is to this law we proclaim Christ the innocent Lamb who became sin for us that we might be saved once for all. The day is not called good because of what happened on the third day (the Resurrection) but because it is here we see how God can be "the just and the justifier” of those who trust in Jesus (Romans 3:26).
Psalm 85:10 sings of a day when “righteousness and peace” will “kiss each other” and this is that day -- the day when the cross was borne by the innocent for the sake of the guilty, the righteous for sinners, the Lord of life for those marked with death. This Jesus did not of our coercion or compulsion but willingly -- taking our divine punishment upon His own innocent shoulders. “For the joy set before him” (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus endured the cross on Good Friday, knowing it led to our redemption and the reign of God's righteousness and peace.
Not even Christmas is in all four Gospels but the events of Good Friday are recounted in all four Gospels of the New Testament and occupy the bulk of each of those Gospels. In each of these Gospels, Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane after the Last Supper with His disciples and put on trial before Pontius Pilate.
"Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people." (John 18:12-14)
Taken before the Sanhedrin, Jesus was falsely accused and convicted of blasphemy and sent to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, for the sentence of death to be carried out. Jesus did not cower nor deny the truth but chided them for their deceitful ways. "I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.” (John 18:20-21)
Pilate was uncomfortable through it all. “What is truth?” he asked Jesus. A man of fear, he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?” They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Barabbas had blood on his hands but Jesus had no blood except ours and though Pilate was fearful, he found no way out and condemned Jesus to crucifixion.
As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there.
Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”
In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him. (Matthew 27:32-44)
Crucified between two thieves who deserved their fate, Jesus was nailed to the cross. "Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with Him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on His right and one on His left" (Luke 23:33-34) He hung on the cross for six hours, during which time He spoke seven last words. At about 3:00 pm, He gave up His spirit.
"It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last." (Luke 23:44-46)
From noon until three in the afternoon darkness covered the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lemasabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” They ran for a sponge, filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. If Elijah showed up this would be something to see. And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
At that moment, the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons. (Matthew 27:45-56)
So wrote St. Peter, who had denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed: "He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:24) If he could believe it for his sin, why should we not believe in Him also?
1 comment:
Amen. Amen
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