The crucifixion of Jesus is so fundamentally crucial to Christianity that all four Gospels record it in great detail (Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19) and it is consistently referred to throughout Scripture. The day Jesus was crucified marks the lowest that sinful humanity could sink. Never in all the crimes and massacres recorded and yet to be recorded in history, will there be a more heinous murder, unjust slaying, or despicable killing than what we did to Jesus. On this Friday sin reared its ugly head, grabbed the Son of God and man, falsely accused Him, verbally abused Him, scourged Him, brutally beat Him, placed Him on the cross, pounded nails through His hands and feet, and dropped the cross into the ground crucifying Him. As in all His life, Jesus did nothing but extend love and forgiveness in His dying hours, as we stood by jeering and mocking. It was indeed, anything but a good day! It was a sinful, ugly day! Why do we dare call it "Good Friday?" Why do we remember and commemorate it? Why do we "boast [glory] in the cross?" (Galatians 6:14)
The cross not only reveals the depth of sin, it gloriously reveals the magnitude of God's love for us! "This is love," John tells us in his first epistle, "not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4:10) In the cross God's love and justice meet. On the cross the sin problem was dealt with once and for all. "He sacrificed for their sins once for all [for all sin, for all people, for all time] when He offered Himself." (Hebrews 7:27) "No one takes my life from me," Jesus announced, "but I lay it down on my own accord." (John 10:18) Though our sin is great and evil is powerful, we could have never taken Christ's life without His consent. He willingly and lovingly laid down His life for us that we might live. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Mark reports that "with a loud cry Jesus breathed His last" breath. (Mark 15:37) John records the word of that loud cry; "It is finished!" (All one word in the Greek; John 19:30) This was not a cry of defeat. It was the final shout of victory! This same cry reverberates in the heart and soul of everyone who has and will come to the cross, confessing sin and accepting the forgiveness and cleansing that it provides. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:8)
There was to be an Easter parade in their town and the two young boys were working hard on their small float for the parade in the basement of their church. They decorated their small wagon and placed a wooden cross right in the center of it. They put flowers on and around the cross and draped it with purple strips of cloth. The pastor happened to stop by the room. He looked at the boys' float and said, "I am sorry boys, but you have it all wrong. The cross was not beautiful like you have made it. It was rugged, hard, ugly and blood stained. You will have to change your float." The boys stood silent for a moment. Then one of the boys looked up to His pastor and responded, "But pastor, I thought that Jesus never touched anything and left it the same!?"
For all eternity this Friday will be called Good, because on this Friday Jesus took the symbol of sin and death and transformed it into the symbol of Life and Victory! On this day we remember the price of our salvation and rejoice in the Love that paid that price in full. On this day we view the cross through an empty tomb, greatly rejoicing, for we know that sin did not, and therefore never will, have the final word! Today we celebrate life in Jesus! He never touches anything and leaves it the same.
Hallelujah for the cross!
Keep Close To Jesus
Pastor Gerry