Tag: Good Friday

Good Friday?

March 29, 2024

Sunday is the day that we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus whom we call The Christ. Today is Friday. Why do Christians call it good. Around two thousand years ago the savior of the world was executed by the Romans. What is good about that?

Jesus said that there is none good but God. (Mark 10:18, Luke 18:19) He had just been called a Good Teacher. He was not arguing with this young man. He was trying to educate him. We call people good. They are not. We are not. Good is a word that we use easily. Jesus wanted to point out that in His definition of good, no one qualifies except Jehovah.

Can a particular day in history be considered good? Will the day you die be good or bad? Personally, the day I leave this body will be a good day for me. I will be with God. That includes Jesus. He said He would come back and take me to be where He is. (John 14:3) Why would that be bad?

If anyone had a bad day, the day we are remembering would be bad for Our Lord. He was arrested the night before. He was charged with blasphemy. That is making himself equal to Yahweh. He could not argue against that charge. He is equal. He said it. “The Father and I are one.” (John 10:30)

The Sanhedrin took Him to Pilate. (Matthew 27:2) They changed the charge. “He claims to be the King of the Jews.” (Matthew 27:11) Jesus did not deny that charge. Why would He do that? Did He want to die? No. He had to. To save me from my sins He required it. He is God. (John 1:1-5)

The previous evening the sacrifice asked if there was a way to prevent Him going through crucifixion. (Matthew 26:39) There was no other way. If He did not do it, you and I would be punished for our sins. He had to perish for the entire human race.

That was not all He must do. That is what we will celebrate this Sunday. It is not Easter. That is a holiday named for a pagan god that the Romans worshiped. The emperor took that festival of debauchery and tried to change it to honor Jesus the Christ. The name stuck. I prefer to call it Resurrection Day. We need to forget the chicks, eggs, and bunnies. It is the day of the empty tomb. Mary saw Him alive. (Matthew 28:9) The Roman soldiers were like dead men. (Matthew 28:4) Over five hundred witnessed Him in His resurrected body.  Why don’t you believe it?

He came. He died on that Friday. He arose on Sunday. Friday is good because He came back to life and made it possible for all of us to live in His presence. That is yesterday, today, and after we die. Honor Him by remembering what He did for us.

©Copyright 2024 by Charles Kensinger

Good Friday?

April 8, 2023

We are celebrating the day that Jesus who is the Messiah of the Jews died over two thousand years ago. The question is why is it considered a good day? Three men were executed by the most gruesome method known to modern man. This is a day that should be considered evil.

Thursday night ended with a moving Passover meal for Christ and his twelve closest followers. Their mentor showed them how to be servants to each other. All the current traditions were observed. The wine was shared as was the bread. Prayers were given. Music was shared. It was both fellowship and worship.

Friday morning begins with a series of trials. The Sanhedrin retried our Lord until He made a statement that is considered blasphemy and the court determines that His sentence should be death by crucifixion. These educated lawmen do not realize that they have sentenced Jesus to a death that matches what the prophets recorded hundreds of years ago.

The trials continue before Pilot and Herod. The sentence is ordered to be carried out. Pilot washes his hands. Three men march out to be hung on crosses until they are dead. It will be a slow terrible death. They will tire from the efforts to pull themselves up to breathe until they suffocate.

Over the next several hours’ Christ’s companions argue with each other to decide why they will die with a man they never knew until this day. The man they called Bar Abbas has been released. The Son of the Father will live to fight another day. They will not.

One accepts the offer of the savior. The other does not. They both die agonizing deaths. They are preceded in death by my Lord and Savior. He spoke little during the trials and the crucifixion. His last words were, “It is finished.”

It is the plan of the Father to save humanity from its own sinfulness. It started with Adam and ended with Jesus. Paul calls him the second Adam.

We refer to the Friday before Resurrection Sunday as Good Friday because of the result of the weekend. The tragic incidents of passion week were worth the lamb that was slain for the sin of the world. His life for those of an entire race of people. Science Fiction is not the only book where the Earth is saved. Happy Resurrection Sunday.

©Copyright 2023 by Charles Kensinger