What's So Good About Friday?

What’s so amazing about a man’s death on a cross?

Nothing really.

Hundreds died upon the Roman cross.

It was the execution method of the time.

It is amazing to me, however, that Jesus went to the cross willingly.

Some might say, “Big deal. People willingly die for others all of the time.”

And that is true. 

People do.

It has become trendy to say that one is willing to give their life for another.

And though we may admire the people who do, 

the impact and importance of their sacrifice is lost on many.

It is viewed as a noble or heroic act by most,

but the only people it truly impacts 

are those who were closest to them.

So the fact that Jesus willingly gave His life for us

 isn’t as big of a deal as it used to be.

The thing that makes Jesus’ death so amazing is that

while He hung upon that cross, 

there was that period of darkness, 

over all the earth, 

where the sins of every person who has ever drawn breath,

passed through Him.

He chose to take upon Himself

 the guilt, shame and wretchedness 

of every human being in existence,

since the beginning of time.

Jesus didn’t “just” die for our sins, 

but He became sin; 

He experienced and embodied all of our sins

 as if He were the one guilty of them all.

And He chose obedience to the Father in this

 so that we ARE all forgiven.

What is so amazing about Jesus’ death is that 

 ~ His death IS our forgiveness.

Because the spotless Lamb, 

the sinless One was slain, 

we are perfect and sinless in the sight of God.

The impact and importance of His death is that

He has reconciled every one of us to God.

We, who would continually crucify Him 

with our rotten behavior,

have been redeemed and made perfect

by the only One who is truly worthy of heaven.

This is what makes Jesus’ death so amazing.

This is the true meaning of Good Friday.