I know what you’re thinking. It’s Friday evening and I’ve waited until now to post something about Good earth Friday. Maybe now some of you are home from work, settled in, and have had dinner, and that would be great for timing. But I say: Hey, it’s never too late to observe, with heart and mind, our Lord’s work.
Actually, I’m at a Starbucks right now and supposed to be working on my homework. You see, we are moving and it’s packing time. Thing is, I have some homework that needs done and this weekend is rather busy. Therefore, my wife has agreed to let me go and study up apart from the chaos at home.
Since I’ve been here, though, I’ve waisted the time allotted to me by my precious wife and children, and ultimately God. I’m updating my site, looking for a theme that will serve the purposes which I hope to roll out soon enough. But this isn’t “free” me time, it’s study time. And that’s my point.
So how does this relate to Good Friday?
Well, as I reflect on what Jesus has done for us, specifically in His life before His death, and in death itself, I am reminded of how He never waisted time. There were times when Jesus went off to a secluded place, but it was to spend worthwhile time with His Father, not to waist it.
I’m sure there were many times where Jesus even reclined with others and just relaxed. But I have to think that if He did something like that, He was building relationships, being present for someone, discipling someone, or close to that nature of things.
He never waisted time. He used it to the best possible advantage for the purpose He was sent to fulfill. He was on a mission to save sinners, and this He has accomplished quite effectively. And He never waisted a moment He was given to accomplish that purpose.
Good Friday is meaningful not only because Jesus died for sins, but because before His death He lived a perfect, blameless life.
This is one reason this makes today “good.” It’s not good simply because one man died for other people. That’s a tragedy. It’s good because the person that died was the perfect Son of God. Blameless and entirely sanctified.
His death would have meant close to nothing had He not fulfilled the law in His life. He has done what we could not, by interpreting the Law, and embodying the very ability to accomplish what the Law demands.
Not only could Jesus walk the life according to the “rules,” but also according to love. In other words, fulfilling the Law meant to love God with your whole self, and to love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus did that. And He did it better than anyone ever has, or ever will do. And this was just the beginning.
Good Friday is also meaningful because not only did Jesus life a perfect life, He rose from death to life again.
Once again, His perfect life and living perfectly by the Law would have ended in just another tragic death had He not rose again. This is what truly makes today “good.”
And that’s what we need. We need a Great Leader, our Lord God, to be able to overcome all facets of life, as well as death. What good is a god who perishes? He would be no greater than some contemporary charismatic leader.
Our God conquered death. He can not be held down, because He is the Supreme Ruler of life and death. He could lay His life down, and raise it back up again by the power of His own will. And that’s not only worthy of following, but demanding of worship.
Good Friday is a very special day, not just because Jesus died a gruesome death on a cross, but because His perfect life satisfied the Law’s demand, satisfied God’s wrath against the sins of His people, and He rose again on the third day.
This is the God I worship.
Sunday, Hallelujah! It’s not too far away!
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