Today is called Good Friday and is celebrated around the world. Although we remember this day daily this is a specific day set aside to remember the passion of Christ. Sadly this celebration is kind of odd as so many have missed the fact that this day is good because Jesus has provided a way to be redeemed from sin once and for all. For many this is just a day in history but for the radical Christian this is the beginning of a new life, freedom and eternal life before God. Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” This is the gospel message as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.” This is a day for us to kneel at the cross and recognize Jesus as our saviour. Just standing at the foot of the cross does not make your life right with God. You must acknowledge Jesus as your Saviour and Lord and obey him. Paul makes this clear when he said above “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.” Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” This means life is no longer about you but about serving Jesus Christ. This means you literally have to die to yourself also as Jesus has died for you. Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” So in essence this is a day to remember what Jesus has done for us and what we need to do for Him. By kneeling at the cross we are saying you are Lord of my life. Unless we can submit our lives before Jesus Christ, we can never be a friend of God. “Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.” (Hebrews 9) So today we rejoice on this Good Friday in the good news of the gospel message.
Here are a few verses to look up and read. Psalm 22; Isaiah 52:13-53:12; John 16-19
