“Good” Friday?

Today we remember – the bleakest day of our faith, when evil people crucified the perfect One. And, we call it ‘good.’  

Life is often like that, isn’t it? We go through dark times, we experience circumstances that are hard, and something beautiful emerges from our hopelessness;
a new compassion,
a new depth of love for God,
a better understanding of who we are.  

The world shook that awful day 2 millennia ago, the sky darkened, evil rejoiced, heaven wept, and then all was still. At the end of those atrocities, there was a bloodied body, laid in a borrowed tomb.  Such was  that “Good” Friday. But the Gospel writers, reflecting decades later, tell us that Jesus was not killed, He chose to die.  He was purposeful in doing for this world what it could not do for itself, restoring humanity to the Creator, building a bridge to our Father. Thus, it is now, for us, Good Friday.

The Cross cannot be marginalized, nor ignored, ugly as it is. Paul gives us the summation of the Good News of our peace with God with 3 key facts. "By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that (1) Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that (2) he was buried, that (3) he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures," (1 Corinthians 15:2-4, NIV)

Some who are repulsed by the idea of bloody sacrifice choose to look past the Cross. The mystery of faith is that sacrifice of life for life is at the heart of reconciliation with God. The first covenant required the sacrificial lamb; the second the Lamb of God. The Word tells us that "Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that great, perfect sanctuary in heaven, not made by human hands and not part of this created world. Once for all time he took blood into that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves. He took his own blood, and with it he secured our salvation forever. Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people’s bodies from ritual defilement.

Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our hearts from deeds that lead to death so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. That is why he is the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, so that all who are invited can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant." (Hebrews 9:11-15, NLT)

 This “Good” Friday consider the Cross and worship humbly. What was accomplished by Jesus that day flows down through time to you, to me! We are recipients of grace, the family of God, with the promise of Life Eternal because He chose to give His life. "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit," (1 Peter 3:18, NIV)

Don’t worship the Cross, worship the Savior.
Don’t fixate on the evil, rejoice in the love in evidence in His choice to give Himself.

Yes, it is “Good” Friday, the bleak day that gave rise to Resurrection Morning, the most glorious Day.

This is the Gospel of Christ!

 (Video of this blog at this link)

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Alas And Did My Savior Bleed

Alas and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sov'reign die
Would He devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I

Was it for crimes that I have done
He groaned upon the tree
Amazing pity grace unknown
And love beyond degree

At the cross at the cross
Where I first saw the light
And the burden of my heart rolled away
It was there by faith I received my sight
And now I am happy all the day

Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut His glories in
When Christ the mighty Maker died
For man the creature's sin

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While Calvary's cross appears
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness
And melt mine eyes to tears

But drops of grief can ne'er repay
The debt of love I owe
Here Lord I give myself away
'Tis all that I can do

Isaac Watts  Words: Public Domain