Good Friday or Bad Friday, Why was that dreadful day Called Good
“One may be right by saying, the Good Friday as at then, was the day of the greatest triumph of Evil…”
Did Jesus Die of Good Friday?
Yes, according to Christian tradition, Jesus died on Good Friday. Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday and is observed by Christians around the world to commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ.
According to the New Testament, Jesus was crucified by the Romans on a Friday after being betrayed by one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, and handed over to the authorities. After his death, Jesus was buried in a tomb, and his followers believed that he rose from the dead on the third day, which is celebrated as Easter Sunday.
It
was a dreadful day, a day of sorrow and agony for him and his followers. Just
as the scripture says; the shepherd was stricken and the sheep got scattered. Despite the sorrows of that day, we still
maintain the fact that it was a good day (Friday).
THE GOOD FRIDAY
Good Friday is the Friday that precedes Easter Sunday. It was the day that
the Christians commemorate (with
fasting, prayer, and meditation) the passion, sufferings, and death of Jesus
Christ on the cross.
A Review of the circumstances that surround Good Friday.
On
that dreadful day, before morning dawn:
Jesus was arrested: Matthew 26:57 And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
He was condemned
to death; by the Pharisees and the
High priests, but they have no power to sentence Him to death without the
approval of Pontius Pilate (who was the then-Roman Governor). However,
Pilate cannot charge Jesus nor put him to death seeing that Jesus was a
Galilean under Herod's jurisdiction, Pilate had Jesus sent to Herod in Jerusalem
at the time.
Jesus
was found innocent: Herod and Pilate found him innocent; even then, because
Pilate feared the crowd, he granted their demand and sentenced Him to death.
He was Ill-treated:
He took the place of Barabbas (the
criminal), He was beaten with 39 lashes and mocked he was stripped of his cloth,
he was made to carry a Heavy cross to Golgotha.
He was crucified:
crucifixion was a death that was usually reserved for the most dangerous
criminals. The soldiers drove nails through His wrists and ankles, affixing Him
to the cross. In fact, two criminals were crucified with him, one on the left
and the other on the right. etc.
Prophet Isaiah gave a perfect
description of what happened that very day years back: Isaiah 53:3-10
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Despite
these circumstances; we still go on to call the day Good Friday, while some
called it Holy Friday, or the Great Friday.
The
question that comes to mind is; what then is so good, great, and Holy about that
dreadful day?
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU: The Deeds of God
Why Good Friday was called Good
The Wrath of God against us because of Sin was removed
God
desires a constant relationship with us, but our sins and iniquities (most
especially the one that was brought upon us by the first Adam) separate us
from God. The lost relationship between man and God was later restored through
the death of Christ on the Cross on Calvary.
1 Peter 2:24: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Isaiah 53:5: But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed
Jesus
Christ took the sins of the whole world and nailed it to the cross; as a result
of this the lost relationship between God and man was restored. A symbolic representation of this is the veil
of the temple that was turned into two. In short, we receive forgiveness of
sins.
IT MARKS THE END OF THE LAW AND
USHERED IN THE NEW ERA OF FULL EXPRESSION OF GOD’S GRACE (THE ERA OF THE NEW
TESTAMENT)
The
Righteousness and forgiveness that comes through the Law wasn’t perfect: for by
the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Galatians 2:16
Galatians
3:10-13
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is
written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are
written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the
law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And
the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us:
for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
However,
By Gods Gracious Gift of Christ, on the cross, Gods Grace was spread across to
mankind; By grace, we are saved, justified , glorified, and made the
righteousness of God through Jesus Christ.
Titus 2:11
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,.
Lastly, on that day and on that
cross; the righteousness demand of justice was satisfied:
Which is that Jesus Christ while on the cross was the only perfect atoning sacrifice
that mankind needed for redemption.
Hebrews
9:13 -14
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling
the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the
blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to
God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Verse
28: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of
many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without
sin unto salvation.
Herein
is our joy full and it suffix to say that what Christ did for us on that Cross
makes the day A great, Holy and Good day. (Good Friday)
Therefore,
when we accept Jesus Christ’s payment for sin, he washes away our sins and
restores our right standing with God.
Glory to God.
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