Good Friday

    Today is Good Friday. If today was the end of the story today would be a day of great sorrow. However, for followers of Jesus Christ we know that this is not the end of the story. Today is the end of the beginning. Yes, today is the day that we think of the mockery and pain that Jesus went through on the cross. It makes me stop and think when I look back and remember that He did it for me, but also when I look back I remember that the reason He did it was because He loved and still loves me. Today we remember that Jesus was betrayed by His friend, headed over to the leaders, the Jews and the Romans. He was unjustly tried. He had His skin torn off of his back by whips and a robe. He was mocked and humiliated. He was blind folded and beaten. A thief was chosen to be released over an innocent PERFECT man. Then after all of that (most people would barely be conscious) he was taken to Golgotha (the place called the skull) His wrists and ankles were nailed into a rough splintered cross, that lay on the ground with nails that resembled rail road ties. After fastened to the cross, the cross was picked up and dropped into a hole in the ground. This jarred his entire body and dislocated his shoulders. On either side of Him were two other criminals. While hanging on the cross the sky went dark, during this time God was placing the sins of you and Me on Him. Because He held the sin of the world on Him and God cannot look upon sin, God looked away from Him. After this He said, "It is finished" and He breathed His last. The seven layer thick curtain that separated the holy place from the holy of holies was split from top to bottom. This symbolized how Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice that allowed us to have direct access to God. Jesus made the needed intercessory for us because He loved us. Later on, His side was pierced to make sure that he was dead. His body was given to Joseph of Arimathea to be buried. He was placed in a tomb and a stone was rolled in front of it. The stone was sealed and soldiers were placed by Pilot to guard the tomb.

    The prophet Isaiah prophesied about the death of Christ in a book of the Bible named after him. This section is taken from Isaiah 53.

    "For He grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dried ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men: a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our grief and carried out sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we were healed. All we like sheep have turned astray; we have turned- every one- to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its sheers is sigh lent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit from his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of my soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many and makes intercession for the transgressors."

    I am not one to see pictures in writing, nor am I one for imagery, (just ask my mom!) but can't you see what Jesus did for you in those verses. In the beginning of this post, which seems like a long time ago, I said that Good Friday was the end of the beginning. Yes, I know that Jesus is dead and some of you may be asking how this can be the end of the beginning. Well, we have Jesus in the grave and guarded by soldiers. This next part really should wait until Sunday however, I will finish it now. After three days God sent and earthquake and an angel to roll back the stone. That morning Women came to anoint Jesus' body. They found the angel and he told them to not be afraid for Jesus had risen. The women were told by the angel to go and tell Jesus disciples that He had risen. Jesus later went and talked to them. He taught them and met with them for 40 days. At the end of the 40 day time period, Jesus ascended into heaven. Today He sits in heaven at the right hand of the Father. That is why I said that Jesus' death was the end of the beginning. To read the whole story see Matthew 26:14- 28:20, Mark 14:10- 16:20, Luke 22: 1- 24- 53, John 18:1- 21:25.

Jesus was the sacrifice for us Once for All. That is why I named my blog that. I got it right out of the Bible. See the verse at the top of the banner? Good Friday by itself is full of grief and sorrow but with the resurrection of Christ it brings hope! - halfcup