Another Good Friday
For a long time, I’ve been curious about why we call this day “Good Friday”. This morning, I was excited to see a notification from the YouVersion Bible app titled “Why is Good Friday ‘good’?” The answer, as I learned, is that Jesus suffered so that our broken world could come to know God personally, and that’s what makes this day “good.”
But we must also remember that, physically, there was nothing good about this day. If Jesus were to tell the story, he might even call it ‘The worst day of his life’. Every time we remember this day, I am moved by how much God loves us. Jesus’ sacrificial love sets him apart from other gods.
Have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus was not just a God on earth, but also 100% human? He lived, ate, and grew just like we do. It wasn’t a story of Superman-like strength. No, he experienced all of these as a human being.
See Mark 14:32–36 (The Passion Translation)
32Then Jesus led his disciples to an orchard called “The Oil Press.” He told them, “Sit here while I pray awhile.” 33He took Peter, Jacob, and John with him. An intense feeling of great horror plunged his soul into deep sorrow. 34And he said to them, “My heart is overwhelmed with anguish and crushed with grief. It feels as though I’m dying. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 35He walked a short distance away, and being overcome with grief, he threw himself facedown on the ground. He prayed that if it were possible, he would not have to experience this hour of suffering. 36He prayed, “Abba, my Father, all things are possible for you. Please — remove this cup of suffering! Yet what I want is not important, for I only desire to fulfill your plan for me.”
Did Jesus know he was going to die? Yes, he did. And his reaction to that knowledge was human. He was afraid, overwhelmed, and crushed with grief. He said it felt as though he was dying just by thinking about what was to come. Can you imagine that for a moment…
He prayed fervently, asking God to spare him from the suffering, but ultimately submitted to God’s will.
In my opinion, Jesus’ main concern was the immense suffering he had to endure. Did you observe that I used the word “Endure”? This is because Jesus had the ability to do otherwise, he could have made stones fall from heaven and hit everyone against him. He had the ability but did nothing with it! That is brain bursting!!!!
Instead, he endured it all…
He was betrayed by one of his disciples, which is an excruciating form of betrayal.
He was apprehended in front of his followers, causing confusion and disappointment among them.
His disciples deserted him in his time of need.
The religious leaders condemned him, and he was even denied by Peter.
Despite being innocent, he was accused of wrongdoing.
The soldiers mocked him, spat on him, and beat him severely. Ultimately, he was crucified on the cross by all of us, in a sense, as we were all sinners at the time.
Remember the bible tell us that he died for us while we were yet sinners. Romans 5:8
It is truly remarkable to consider that despite having the ability to display his power and silence his oppressors, Jesus chose to remain quiet all for the fulfillment of prophecies and for the salvation of humanity. Such humility and selflessness are unparalleled in any other deity.
To gain a better understanding of what happened on this historic day, I recommend reading Mark 14:48–72 and Mark 15.
Let us celebrate this day with a deep consciousness of the magnitude of Jesus’ sacrifice and the incredible love he showed for his creation.
We serve a God that loves us so much, he left his throne to become human to redeem humanity, because only a human could correct what Adam did. Adam sinned for us and Christ died for us.
What a mighty mighty mighty God!
