Good Friday

Apr 2, 2021

Jesus viewed His own destiny - to be glorified in and through death - as an expression of a kind of cosmic principle: the pathway to life runs through death.

- John Ortberg

Think about these past few days. On Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem to crowds waving palms and shouts of Hosanna! Now the same crowds are yelling “crucify him!” In the course of one week, Jesus has been betrayed and arrested, denied, tried and accused, beaten, whipped! Clinging to life, He is forced to carry the heavy, wooden beam of the cross through the streets of Jerusalem. The weight is extreme, bearing down on his shredded body. The guard yells “move on” but Jesus can’t. He sways, stumbles and falls to the ground. Lying almost lifeless, the angry guards scan the crowd. Simon of Cyrene, an innocent bystander, locks eyes with one of the guards and is ordered to carry Jesus’ cross. Arguing he doesn’t even know him, the guard moves closer, sword pointed toward his chest. He fearfully moves in and lifts the beam to his shoulders. (Luke 23:26)

They move down the Via Dolorosa towards Calvary, known as Skull’s Hill, windswept and barren. The guards order Simon to place the beam on the ground and then thrust Jesus backwards with his shoulders against the wood. A guard feels for the depression at the front of his wrist and violently drives a heavy, square, wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Moving to the other side, he quickly nails the other wrist. Another guard forces Jesus’ left foot backward against the right and a nail is driven through the arch of each. The sign “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” is placed over his head. Nailed to a cross. Now it is just a matter of time until death. Jesus chooses His next words carefully - words that echo throughout eternity, forever shaping the way we view and receive His sacrifice. “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

- Isaiah 53:6

From noon until three, a strange, eerie darkness rolls in while the crowd waits and guards keep watch. Jesus’ mother, Mary, witnessed His first breath. Will the next be his last? He moans trying to push Himself upward to avoid the torment. He places His full weight on the nail through His feet and in searing agony, the nail tears through the muscles. His arms fatigue and great waves of cramping sweep over the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. Jesus fights to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath. The pain is overwhelming and out of the silence Jesus screams, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:45-46) The moment of agony when He felt God’s presence leave Him - the weight of separation from His Father. Desolation. Hell. The piercing weight of our sin.

As the third hour comes to a close, the full weight of our sin bears down on Jesus’ spirit and body. His face softens, He gasps for breath and speaks a final time, “It...is...finished!”

It is finished… Tetelestai… the debt has been paid in full! Jesus’ brutal and agonizing death means Good Friday is REALLY good for you and me. His death is LIFE for us!

How will we respond? With indifference? Will we deny Him? Will we betray Him? Will we drive the nails into His flesh with our words and actions? Will we receive His forgiveness and live our lives for Him? The choice is ours, yours and mine, alone! My prayer is that today, you choose to LIVE!