Good Friday

When I was younger, I didn’t understand why we called today Good Friday. Sometimes I still have a hard time wrapping my head around it. How could a day that had so much pain and fear be called “good”?

Jesus’ disciples were probably wondering why this was happening. Why did Jesus have to be arrested, tried, and sentenced to die? Why didn’t he rise up and take his place as king? Why does the one who healed others have to suffer?

In order for our souls to be saved from God’s wrath, someone had to die in our place. Someone strong enough to overthrow darkness and death forever. Someone who knew what it was like to be human, yet have the power of God-- at the same time. The only person who could do this was Jesus.

Jesus came and lived a human life. He was born and grew up with parents, like all of us. He was tempted, but resisted that temptation. He knew what hunger, joy, sadness, and fear felt like. He knew our human condition, but he was the only one who did not have the disease of our sin.

Jesus was and is fully God. He healed people from their sickness and raised them from the dead. He cast out demons. He calmed the storms with a word. He forgave people of their sins. He died in a human way so he could defeat a spiritual darkness.

The beauty of today is that Jesus took the punishment we deserved. Of course, the disciples did not fully understand this at the time, and sometimes I struggle with this concept myself. The uncertainty that the disciples faced after Jesus died must have been consuming and daunting.

We’re living in an uncertain time right now. While we may be getting used to staying at home, there is still the lurking worries of “What if I or someone I love gets sick?” and “When will this end? When will things be normal?”.

We may be uncertain and fearful of the future, but God’s plan and goodness will always prevail. I don’t know what the world will look like a month from now, but God knows. The disciples witnessed Jesus’ death and didn’t know he would raise three days later. God works through our uncertainty. When we don’t think life makes sense, God still has a plan!

One day, the uneasiness we are experiencing right now will make sense. Trust that God knows what he is doing; trust that he will provide for your every need. God had a plan when Jesus gave up his life. A plan for grace save us! The day Jesus died was good because God’s plan to save his children was set in motion.

Romans 5: 6-9

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die--but God shows his love for us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”