Why is Good Friday Good?

 

 

More than two thousand years ago, Mankind nailed his Maker on a cross of wood. On that horrific day, the devil laughed, the people sneered and the Father turned His back on his Son. Jesus Christ did not die and rise again for a percentage of the world, but for the whole world. While Jesus was dying on the cross, there were many miracles that happened to demonstrate Why Good Friday is Good. Easter is God’s grace for the human race. As we approach Good Friday, consider Why Good Friday is Good. According to Matthew 27:45-54, when Jesus died on the cross:

• He touched the sun. In Him, we have victory over darkness! Jesus said that He is the light of the world. Yet, He is the eternal light of heaven. If we choose not to allow Jesus into our hearts, our lives will be filled with darkness. The glorious light of the Gospel transforms untold numbers of people every year.
• He touched the sanctuary and the veil was rent in two. In Him, we have victory over division! This veilhad hung for more than 1,500 years between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. Only the High Priest once a year could walk through the veil into the Holy of Holies. The veil symbolized that Mankind is sinful and God is holy. Yet, when the veil was rent in two, whosoever will can come into the Holy of Holies to get a glimpse of the Glory of God.
• He touched the stones with an earthquake.In Him, we have victory over devastation! In essence, Jesus was saying, “If you take me out of your society, your world will fall apart.” Christ is the glue of our cities and the fabric of our Faith. Even though tough times come to all of us, Jesus is the One who pulls the pieces of our lives together.
• He touched the sepulchers and the dead came back to life. In Him, we have victory over death! While Jesus was dying on the cross, resurrection began to happen in the nearby cemeteries. People got up out of their graves and walked into Jerusalem. Can you imagine the stir in the city when these people arrived home! As Jesus was about to die, He shouted, “It is finished!” Every time Jesus shouted resurrection was the result. The first time Jesus shouted, he said, “Lazarus come out!” And, Lazarus got up out of his grave and left with Jesus. The second time He shouted, Jesus was hanging on the cross. In the future, Jesus will shout one more time. The Bible states, the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout and then those who are in their graves will be resurrected and those who are alive will be raptured (1 Thess. 4:16-18). We have victory over death.
• He touched the soldier. In Him, we have victory over doubt! The Centurion who crucified Jesus said, “Truly, this was the Son of God.” This military leader no doubt had crucified scores of men over the years. Yet, when he saw the sun refuse to shine, heard the veil had been rent in two, felt the earth begin to shake, saw the dead coming into Jerusalem, he shouted, “Jesus is the Son of God!”

Why is Good Friday good? Because two thousand years ago, Mankind nailed the Maker on a cross of wood. One week, the religious crowd said, “Hail him with a crown,” the next they said, “nail him on a cross!”

Mel Gibson said, when I interviewed him in 2004 before more than 6000 pastors and leaders, regarding “The Passion of the Christ” movie, “Jesus was so pure, with one prick of a finger, a drop of His blood could have redeemed the world. Yet, He loved us so much that He went to the cross and died for every person in the world.” On Good Friday, let us recommit our lives and our leadership to share God’s grace with the human race. We are not the West going to the Rest, but the Best going to the Rest worldwide. As New Zealand’s Paul de Jong said, “The next billion lives next door.”

 

Until The Last Person Has Heard,

James O. Davis
CoChair/Global Networking
Cofounder/Billion Soul

 

 

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