Holy Friday

In Spain, Korea, as well as many other countries this day is called Holy Friday, which really I prefer, because good as an adjective doesn’t nearly describe the profound meaning of this day.  This is the day; almost 2000 years ago that Jesus was betrayed by his friends that he had walked with for 3 years, teaching and training them in the ways of the Father.  And what was in it for the betrayer was 30 pieces of silver, basically the cost of an average slave.  This day, as it was occurring was full of deceit, lies overtaking the truth, torture, despair, injustice, greed and all sorts of terrible feelings, emotional and physical pain.  Jesus endured all of it and He knew it had to be done.  Many of us today often feel these exact things that went on that Friday so long ago; signs of our brokenness.  If that Friday was only viewed as what was on the surface, evil overcoming good, then that day absolutely would never be called Good Friday.  Even the sun refused to shine that day and the earth quaked.  But what was good on that day was God; His mercy, love, compassion, and forgiveness.  No one took Jesus’ life that day, He freely gave it.  This is the mark of ultimate love. 

I have often forgotten or push aside in my mind the significance of Easter.  It’s so easy to do, as humans are so prone to forget, therefore we must constantly remind ourselves.  This is the basis of Christianity.  Why do we celebrate it?  What is its meaning?  Ok yea I get God, but why Jesus?

Before Jesus, man was separated from God by sin, there was a barrier.  We were (and still are) imperfect and could never truly know God because of His Holy and divine nature.  There were Major and Minor Prophets in which God would speak to them in various ways so that the people would know of God and how their creator intended them to prosper on earth.  If you commit a crime today, justice must be paid in some sort of way, whether it is by spending time in jail, paying a large fee etc.  God instilled justice in our human nature to be true since we came into being.  When sin/crime was committed before Jesus, the people would sacrifice their best and most perfect lambs/animals as an offering and replacement for the injustices they have committed in their lives, and so that God would forgive them.  There had to be some sort of payment.  God began speaking to the profits over a thousand years before Jesus was born.  God said that there is to be born a perfect and spotless lamb, which will be the final sacrifice to end all sacrifices and cover all sin.  Specific details were given to the profits of Jesus’ birth, what city he was to be born, in what family line, that he was to be born of a virgin, etc, and that this was the son of God.  There were 12 major profits before Jesus, each hearing specific details of this coming savior.  When Jesus was born, His birth fulfilled every one of these details.  Not only did Jesus’ have a perfect life in the sense that He committed no sin, but He was the sacrifice, our sacrifice, so that all of humanity would be forgiven.  He performed miracles before people’s eyes, healed the sick, tended to the poor, and lived as what the world would call a poor man, but in eternities eyes He would be a very rich man.  Jesus knew He was going to die from the beginning.  He was fully man and fully God.  He not only spoke of Gods character but portrayed it in His life. 

John 5:7 “…the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”  Jesus was an imitator of God, which we are called to as well.

When Jesus was executed on the cross that day, to the eye it was a day of sadness, despair, and hopelessness.  But truly it was a day that fulfilled what had been written thousands and thousands of years before.  It was a day that the world would place their calendars and base holidays around.  This one man.  The ultimate, perfect sacrifice.  He died for you, to wash away your burdens and wrong doings that dwell in your mind and heart and so that you could truly know God.  He bridged the gap.  And you can know God.

You are no longer broken, allow Him to wipe away your feelings of anxiety, lies, deceit, greed, fear, pride… He died for you.  Choose Him and experience the unexplainable joy of being in Gods presence yourself. 

This is ultimate love.

You don’t know until you know and it is easy to play it safe.  You don’t even have to take my word for it, test it for yourself, the bible says to.

Isaiah 65:24 "I will answer them before they even call to Me.  While they are still talking about their needs, I will go and answer their prayers!"