Good Friday

John 19:30, "So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!' And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit."

While the date changes every year, the meaning of the day does not. Friday, April 22, 2011. Good Friday. The day when you and I received the opportunity to have our sins forgiven and regain our fellowship with God. Over 6 hours, one Friday, nearly 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ became the sacrifice "once and for all," so that through the shedding of His blood, atonement was made for all who believe in and follow Him. Amen! Hallelujah!

The meaning of the day is incomprehensible to most. God the Father chose to send God the Son to earth in human form to die so that we could be forgiven and have eternal life with Him. God the Son freely chose to obey God the Father even "unto death." The requirement of God for the "shedding of blood" for "remission of sin" is met at Calvary.

The innocent sacrificed for the guilty. The sinless for the sinner. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." The bible tells us that there is "no greater love than one who is willing to die for his friend." But while we were sinners, we were no friend to God. Romans 8:7 tells us that due to our "carnal" minds, our sin nature, we were indeed God's enemy. Yet Christ, still chose, the cross for us.

Set up and betrayed by one who He called a disciple, Judas. Denied by the disciples leader 3 times, Peter. Falsely charged, and convicted by lies, by the religious leader, Caiaphas. Presented to the people with a murderer to be freed, yet the crowd chose the murderer, Barabbas. A man in whom the civil governor could find no wrong, yet still sent to the cross, Pilate. Beaten by guards with a "cat o' nine tales," a whip with bone shards attached to the sinews. Crowned with thorns. Forced to carry His own death instrument, a cross. Stripped naked. Nailed, pierced, through His hands and His feet. Abandoned by the eleven closest to Him, the disciples. Forsaken by God the Father for our sin placed upon Him. Yet all of this is called good.

Good? You better believe it! Good for you and for me! Good! For just as God said through His prophets, Messiah had come! Good! For "unto us a child" was given. The Son, the only begotten of God! Good! For everything that needed to be done for us to be saved had been accomplished on the cross. God's plan for the restoration of mankind by our faith, through His grace, was completed. "It," was finished.

So all of mankind now stands at the foot of the cross. And how you view Jesus is your witness as to whether this is a good day or not. If you know Christ as Savior, and follow Him as Lord, it is indeed a "Good Friday." Your sins are gone, as far as the "east from the west." In God's eyes they "exist no more." Washed away by the blood of the Lamb, who came, "to take away the sins of the world."

But, if you do not know Jesus as your Savior, nor follow Him as Lord, this day is not a good day. You see, on Sunday, believers in Christ will celebrate the resurrection of Christ from the dead. For you see, He is not dead, but alive! Seated at the right hand of the Father, set to return one day. But not as a Lamb, but rather, a Lion. He will come as Judge, Holy and True. And He will have just one question for you: What did you do with Me? He gave His all for us. Will you do the same for Him, and be saved today?