Friday, April 14, 2006
Good Friday
FRIDAY -- THE WEEK THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
Luke 23:44-46 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." Having said this, He breathed His last.
GOOD FRIDAY
He died. Jesus, the Son of God, died.
Dead. The soldiers examined Him to be sure.
No mistake about it.
No mistake? No mistake?! The kindest, strongest, most thoughtful man who ever lived -- innocent even of the daily mistakes, misdeeds and sins that afflict us -- is gruesomely executed as the lowest of criminals -- and you say no mistake?
Yes. No mistake. For, you see, this was all part of God's plan to free sinful mankind from the just condemnation we deserved for our sins. No mistake, because on Calvary God turned evil back on itself and used man's injustice, the condemnation of the innocent Son of God, to work the ultimate justice of God.
No mistake because He chose to die. Death didn't take Him, He took death. He came into this world to destroy Him who had the power over death, Satan himself. And on the Cross, having defeated the devil, He turned to death and defeated it also. For us. All for us.
How could we call the remembering of this day anything but good?
Good Friday.
His love, what human thought can reach,
What mortal tongue portray?
Imagination's utmost stretch
In wonder dies away.
He left His radiant throne on high,
Left realms of heavenly bliss
And came to earth to bleed and die,
Was ever love like this?
(TLH 363:2-3)
