Good Friday

GOSPEL ACCOUNTS
Matthew 27:1–61, Mark 15:1–47, Luke 23:1–56, John 18:28–19:42

What is perhaps the most jam-packed chapter in the various gospel accounts, is the one that recounts Jesus’ arrest, illegal trials, brutal beatings, cross-laden walk down the Via Dolorosa, crucifixion, and death. Yet at the same time anywhere from 40-60 verses is all the Gospel writers use to record Jesus’ final sacrifice. 

“Justice” is such a hot-button word that we as Americans feel is the right to which we are entitled. And that is not a bad thing, however, when brought into the spiritual realm, justice becomes damning. Why? Because in the beginning our first parents, and through Adam each of us, sinned against the eternal God which yielded an eternal punishment. Justice would have been God striking Adam and Eve dead, destroying creation with a word, and then beginning again. But that was not God’s plan. In fact, when they took that fateful bite of fruit and their very souls were plunged into darkness, simultaneously, God unleashed His ultimate plan from the beginning. A plan of redemption. Through the seed of Eve, signs of the prophets, and the sacrificing of innocent blood, God painted a picture of redemption through the pages of Scripture. He progressively revealed His purposes, His plan, and ultimately Himself through the living Word, Jesus Christ. 

It is this Jesus, truly God and yet truly Man, who stood silently before the vindictive religious elite, the oblivious Roman officials, and the bloodthirsty screaming mob. Was this justice? Was this fair? Why should the Perfect Son be made to suffer, bleed, and die for me? 

The Lamb of God was stripped, robed in purple, crowned with thorns, and given a staff of mere reeds, before being marched in royal mockery up the road to Golgotha.  

Because of the beatings, Jesus crumpled under the weight of the cross, and Simon the Cyrene was made to carry it. The mockery was not complete until Jesus hung naked and exposed before the crowd, many of whom began to openly mock Him. For three hours, Jesus hung, struggling for his very breath as darkness supernaturally covered the land. Creation groaned as its Maker bowed His head. Matthew recorded, “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46) The crowd paused from its badgering for a moment, waiting to see if anything would happen. The next utterance from Jesus was a loud shout “Father! Into Your hands I commit my spirit!” And as the curtain in the temple tore in two, Jesus “yielded up His spirit.” (Matt. 27:50)

A day and even a week filled with absolute chaos ends in the still silence of death. Our hearts break for John the beloved, Mary Magdalene, Jesus’ mother herself, and others as they stood helplessly and watched their Lord, nephew, son, rabbi, and friend die. What must they have felt? I often wonder where the ten other disciples (excluding Judas) were who were not mentioned at Golgotha. What was their experience as they hid in terror? 

We call this day Good Friday because of what was won the moment Christ yielded up His spirit. From the moment of the Fall, justice demanded an eternal punishment. That could be paid in two ways. First would be for you and me to suffer eternally in the place of God’s wrath as we earn the wages of our sin. For many, tragically, this is their reality. However, the good news of that Friday is that the second way for sin’s eternal penalty to be paid was for the eternal holy and righteous God to pay that penalty. Only one who was eternally worthy could atone for such a crime. “When on that cross, our Savior died, the wrath of God was satisfied.” What led Christ to endure the cross? “Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross...” (Heb. 12:2) You and I were that joy. Grace. 

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