What’s Good About Good Friday?
What’s good about Good Friday? In England they named this day Good Friday because the greatest good was done on this day. For Jesus Christ who was without sin became the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him. What’s good about Good Friday? On that day Jesus sealed our redemption through his sacrifice of innocent blood.
In John 12, Jesus began focusing on pouring his Word into the twelve disciples. He knew that even though they didn’t understand what he was teaching them, after the day of Pentecost when they received God’s Holy Spirit, then they would be able to perceive his words from a spiritual perspective.
After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the word of this miracle was spread throughout all Jerusalem. When he rode into town on a donkey, signifying his kingly position, the crowds honored him by placing palm branches in the way and shouting, “Hosanna, Blessed is the king of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
Lazarus’ sister Mary annointed Jesus’ feet with precious ointment. This signified that he would die and she was symbolically preparing his body for burial.. The disciples would understand the significance of Marys’ anointing after Pentecost.
At the Lord’s Supper in the upper room, Jesus taught his disciples by example. He washed the disciples’ feet…. This was the job of the lowliest household slave. By this act, he taught his disciples that you must humble yourselves and serve one another with a heart filled with the love of God. Jesus said, “in this the world shall know that ye are my disciples…. that ye love one another.”
Jesus said to them, “I’m going to die and then I need to leave you. But when I leave, the Holy Spirit will come to comfort you.” He said in John 14, “let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God. Believe also in me. My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your hearts be troubled neither let it be afraid.”
In John 15, Jesus taught his disciples that he is the vine and they are the branches. If the branch abides in the vine, then the branch will bear much fruit.
In John 16 Jesus said, “when I leave, the Holy Spirit will come to you and teach you all things.” He said, “in this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.”
On the cross on Good Friday, Jesus paid the price for the sin that we inherited from Adam. The Apostle Paul said, “in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Our fallen sin nature that we inherited from Adam separates us from the righteousness of God. We are not sinners because we sin…. we sin because we were born sinners. To sin is the nature of man. Fallen man cannot approach the throne of a righteous God.
Our sin nature lusts after the things of this world… the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Lust is “over desire.” It is anything that we desire over the love of God. Sin makes me hide from God and his righteous truth. For he that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved. However, where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
There are several listings of sin in the Bible. According to 1 Corinthians 6…. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” Another list of sins is in 2 Timothy 3: 2-5, “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3. Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4. Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof”
Why are so many sins listed but so little written about the solution to sin? According to 1 Peter 4:8, “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity (the love of God) shall cover the multitude of sins.”
Even though we were dead in trespasses and sin, Jesus associated with sinners: prostitutes, tax collectors, con men, those whom the world judged unworthy. According to Romans 3, God commended his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. After the list of sins in 1 Corinthians 6, verse 11 says, “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
Jesus trained his disciples to prepare them for what was coming. He understood that you cannot have a testimony without a test. Their faith would be tested through the dark days of his death and burial. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, God if there be any other way, let this cup (of the wrath of God, of suffering, and death) be taken away from me…. Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done. These verses in John do not give the answer to Jesus’ prayer. However, the Bible is its own best commentary. According to Hebrews 12, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
What’s good about Good Friday? On this day, Jesus paid the price for sin that separates us from a righteous God. On this day, Jesus said, “it is finished!” What was finished? Your redemption and mine…. For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through the completed payment of Jesus Christ’s innocent blood on our behalf.
Therefore, walk in the light as he is in the light and the blood Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness….
…That we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael
