​What’s So Good about Good Friday?

What’s So Good about Good Friday?

The story of Good Friday is the story of the violent death of an innocent person. How, in any way, could that be good?

It Happened on Passover

In 1445 B.C., the Jews exited Egypt under the leadership of Moses. They had been slaves there for 400 years until the fateful night that Pharaoh set them free.

Why did he do it?

Because his son had died. And the sons of many of his noblemen. His grief caused him to relent, and grant Moses request for the children of Israel to go free.

The Egyptian children died on the night the Jews call, “Passover.”

On that fateful night, all Jewish sons were spared. How? By sacrificing a lamb and sprinkling its blood on the doorposts and lentils of their houses. God had instructed them to do this.

“I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and strike every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, both people and animals…. The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a distinguishing mark for you; when I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:12-13).

Why did the Israelites go free when the Egyptians lost their sons? Were the Israelites innocent of wrongdoing? No.

What happened on Passover was the transfer of guilt by means of a sacrifice. The lamb’s life was given in substitute for the life of a son.

This ritual of Passover became an annual ceremony for Israel. Every year, on the 14th day of the month of Nisan, (which is the day before Passover), they sacrificed a lamb and sprinkled its blood across the doorposts and lentils of their houses – making the sign of a cross with that blood.

The Lamb Had to Be Good

God’s mandate was, the lamb had to be good. That is, it could have “no blemishes.” What the Jews could not know is that this substitutionary sacrifice was a foreshadowing of the events of Good Friday.

Good Friday is Passover

On the day before Passover, 33 A.D., Jesus Christ was sacrificed on a hillside in Jerusalem. His life was given, in substitute, for ours. Jesus was innocent of the crimes He was charged with. He was and is the “unblemished lamb,” the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.

Good Friday was Jesus’ worst, and our best, day.

Crucifixion was horrible. It was tortuous. But the worst part of Jesus’ sacrifice came not from Roman cruelty, but from God’s mercy. Instead of letting us pay for our own wrongdoings, God laid the wrongdoings of the world on the soul of His Son.

This is why Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” It was the moment of sin-transfer, as our sins were taken by Him that afternoon.

The Good that Has Happened Since.

Fortunately, Good Friday was not the end of Jesus’ story. In some ways, it was the beginning. Three days later, He rose from the dead and reassembled His scattered followers.

Seeing Him alive once more, they determined to tell the world about this incredible act of love and mercy, made available to anyone who would believe and receive it, because of Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice.

Good Friday is good, because it made a way for every willing person to be forgiven by God, through Jesus’ death on their behalf. Once forgiven, grateful followers have, in turn, expressed God’s love and mercy worldwide.

Christians have founded 97% of all charitable organizations in the world. From the Red Cross to the Salvation Army to the YMCA to Compassion International, World Vision, Feed My Starving Children, and so many more.

Christians instituted the first public education systems, so children could read and learn about God.

Christians started 98% of all private colleges in America.

Architecture, and art, and mathematics and science, were furthered by Jesus-followers, who wanted to reflect His beauty and spread knowledge.

During the dark ages, monks preserved the great literature of the ancients because of their love for learning and belief that we should love God with our minds.

Because of what Jesus did on Good Friday, more hungry people have been fed, more sick people have been nursed, more cold people have been clothed, more orphans have been adopted, more slaves have been freed, more widows have been cared for, and more water has been purified for drinking than by every other group, cause, or movement in history.

Because of what Jesus did on Good Friday, our calendar is numbered “2021.”

Because of Good Friday, the largest movement on earth today is Christianity, with over 3 billion adherents.

Because of Good Friday, a relationship with God is available to everyone who will ask Jesus to apply His sacrifice to their wrongdoings. “Believe and receive,” the Bible says.

Good Friday was God’s worst day. And our best day, ever.

For safety sake, churches all over the world will be holding services outdoors on April 4 – Easter Sunday morning. Joining one of these will make you part of the largest outdoor worldwide celebration ever.

My church, New Song Community Church, is offering three outdoor Easter services this year. Two services are at 3985 Mission Avenue in Oceanside – one at 9 a.m., the other at 11 a.m. And the third service will be at 3780 Pio Pico Drive in Carlsbad, at 10 a.m. All services will offer age-graded, indoor Sunday school (with Easter Eggs and candy) for children. For more information, come to www.newsongchurch.com.