糖心Vlog

^33听And when the sixth hour听had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.听^34听And at the ninth hour Jesus听cried with a loud voice,听鈥淓loi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?鈥澨齱hich means,听鈥淢y God, my God, why have you forsaken me?鈥�听^35听And some of the bystanders hearing it said, 鈥淏ehold, he is calling Elijah.鈥�听^36听And someone ran and filled a sponge with听sour wine, put it on a reed听and gave it to him to drink, saying, 鈥淲ait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.鈥�听^37听And Jesus听uttered a loud cry and听breathed his last.听^38听And听the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.听^39听And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said,听鈥淭ruly this man was the Son听of God!鈥� (Mark 15:33-39)

Why is such an awful day called 鈥済ood鈥�?

Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23 & John 19 all tell their viewpoint of the events on that Good Friday. The scarlet robe placed over his naked body that had been repeatedly whipped beyond recognition. The crown of thorns shoved onto his head. Being beat and spat upon as he attempted to carry his own cross. The nails secured through his wrists and feet and then the slow suffocation once he was placed upon the cross. He could have stepped down off that cross at any moment but Jesus chose to die. How can any of these actions possibly be linked to the word听good?

While many people of that time believed they were making an example of Jesus, he was not an example, he was a substitute. There was separation between God and his people, due to sinful nature, and Jesus recognized this. Jesus agreed to be the bridge connecting his people back to God, but in order for this to happen the ultimate sacrifice needed to听be made. God made that听ultimate sacrifice when he sent his Son to take up听our听cross and die for听oursins, and Jesus willingly agreed. His sacrifice as an unblemished lamb would pay the price for our eternal salvation.

When we study the New Testament we enjoy reading about the parables and the miracles of Jesus. These stories are full of meaning, happiness, and healing. They fill听our hearts with听love and joy. It is much more difficult to read or think about the darkness of what happened on Good Friday. The Old Testament foretold of the sacrifice that was to be made, yet the disciples were left feeling defeated and his followers confused. What could possibly be 鈥済ood鈥� about this day?

Good Friday is听good听precisely because it is where we encounter the gospel, or听good news. Jesus died in our place, paying a debt that we could 听never pay, and ensuring for us the reality听of eternal life. And while he听was facing his death, Jesus听showed us exactly how to trust and have faith in God鈥檚 promise.

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother

As a mother I can appreciate the unconditional love that God has for his children. However the sacrifice that God made for each of us, by sending his Son to be the ultimate sacrifice, demonstrates the immensity of a truly unconditional act.听 Jesus鈥� mother was standing there watching the horrendous events unfold (John 19:25). 听As a mother, I cannot fathom the incredible heartbreak that she must have been feeling. But what we are shown, in the midst of听this heartache and pain, is how we can trust God beyond all measure and circumstances. With the anguish and despair of life we can feel overwhelmed, but this why Good Friday is so good. Without Good Friday there would be no salvation, and no hope for eternal life with our Lord and Savior.

Julie Curry is in her first year as Director of Elementary Education at 糖心Vlog. She has听worked in education in various roles听for over 20 years.