Holy Week – Good Friday

“Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.” (Mark 15:1)

This began a series of unlawful and unjust trials that would take place throughout the morning. Jesus was paraded around between the religious leaders, Pilate and Herod, all of whom had their own personal agendas and cared nothing for the truth.

Pilate did ask, “What is truth?” but chose to reject it when Jesus told him, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

After all the false witnesses, the trials and the release of Barabbas in place of Jesus, our Lord was led away to be crucified. At the Praetoruim He was mocked, beaten, spat upon and a crown of thorns was placed on His head. Then they led Him out to be crucified forcing Him to carry the cross.

While suffering on the cross His love and mercy were on full display. As soldiers cast lots for His clothing He offered forgiveness to those who were crucifying Him. Seeing His mother as she stood by Him in His darkest hours, He made sure she would be taken care of by John. And as the two thieves were dying beside Him, He offered salvation and a promise of paradise.

When our Lord said, “It is finished,” and breathed His last, all of nature cried out. Thinking back to just one week earlier when He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and the crowds were crying out, “Hosanna!” the religious leaders told Him to quiet the crowd, His words were, “I tell you if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” That’s exactly what took place. Darkness came over the land and the earth shook and the rocks split.

“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!” (Matthew 27:54)

The enemy thought he had won; the Son of God was dead. The earth mourned. Believers mourned and took His body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and placed it in a tomb that had been cut out of a rock. Then they rolled a large stone in front of the entrance.

It must have felt like the world stopped at that moment. The believers no doubt were feeling numb and in a fog at the day’s events, hoping to wake up from the nightmare that had just taken place. This couldn’t be real, this could not have just happened. He was the Messiah, the Son of God and now He lay dead behind a stone, in a tomb.

How many prayers throughout the day had been prayed for His release? How many times had they hoped for a miracle to take place? Yet there they stood outside the tomb, awestruck and lost.

So why do we call it “Good Friday?”

In order for the good news of the gospel to have meaning for us, we first have to understand the bad news of our condition as sinful people under condemnation. The good news of deliverance only makes sense once we see how we are enslaved.

In the same way, Good Friday is “good” because as terrible as that day was, it had to happen for us to receive the joy of Easter. The wrath of God against sin had to be poured out on Jesus, the perfect sacrificial substitute, in order for forgiveness and salvation to be poured out to the nations. Without that awful day of suffering, sorrow, and shed blood at the cross, God could not be both “just and the justifier” of those who trust in Jesus. (Christianity.com)

When we think about Good Friday, we need to remember that He willing suffered all of these things for us. It’s easy to get angry with the actions of the religious leaders, Pilate, Herod and the soldiers, but the reason that all of this took place was for us and them.

He endured all the pain, the beatings, the taunting, the spit and the humiliation for me; He endured it all for you. Today is a day to remember the extent of His love.

My prayer

Father, I am humbled and saddened when I remember the suffering that Jesus endured for me. Thank you for His sacrifice that provided a way for us to have a relationship again. Help me follow His example and pray for those that mistreat me, forgive those that hurt me and keep my focus on Your will Lord. Help me to love like You do. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Where does my help come from?

Hebrews 12:2-3

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”