God's Friday

1 Peter 2:23-24

 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

    Good Friday. This used to be called God’s Friday. The day God died. The day the Son of God died. The passage of time changed God’s Friday to Good Friday. But it could not have been good for God. Listen to the words of the Crucified: “Eli, Eli, lama sabachtani?” Such words cannot be good for God. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Such words cannot be good for God. We see God’s Son, hanging on the cross, helpless, on this day called Good. Such a day cannot be good for God.

   Ecce homo! Behold the man! See the Son of God, bruised, wounded from head to toe, spat upon, vilified, humiliated. Poor, broken, pathetic. Such a thing cannot be good for God. And the silence. O! The silence of the Son of God! He cannot even raise his hand in vengeance, but more gracious than this: HE WILL NOT RAISE HIS VOICE IN AGONY, IN PAIN, IN COMPLAINT. He will not cry to heaven. He will not appeal to the Father on his sapphire throne. He will not call down the legions of angels waiting for his single cry of pain. He will not unleash divine judgment which is his prerogative by Divine right. He is not only powerless before Pilate, before his enemies. He is also mute. Such a thing cannot be good for God.

   BUT GOOD FRIDAY IS GOOD – FOR US! Because of Good Friday, we are healed! Because of Good Friday, our sins are forgiven! The cross is ugly to look at. Such an evil death. A death you cannot wish, even for your enemies. But the gift of that ugly, evil death is life – FOR US! By his stripes you are healed. By his death you are born again into fellowship with God.

   As we gather under the cross of Christ on this day called Good, we remember the almost unbearable weight of our sin, and the payment for that sin: the death of God’s only begotten Son. And yet, by his death, we are healed. His death brings us forgiveness, and newness of life. Changed forever. We have been changed forever by that lonely, evil death on the cross. We continue with our lives, but our lives are now changed! We continue to sin, but that has changed too. We still die, but even death has been changed by that life, given unto death for the forgiveness of our sin! We have been changed by that sinless life. We have been changed by that perfect death. We have been changed. We have been changed from poor, sinful beings to children of the Almighty, who can, with boldness, come into his majestic presence as dear children can barge into the presence of their dear father, and ask for forgiveness, renewal, life! We have been changed from lost and condemned persons into God’s own nation, his own royal priesthood, his own chosen people. We have been changed from being slaves of hell to citizens of heaven, children and heirs of the kingdom of the Almighty. All of this because of the ugly, evil death of God’s beloved Son. And this is why this sad and evil day is called "Good" Friday--not good for Jesus---but certainly good for us. For by his wounds you have been healed. By his death, you have life. Eternal life. This is most certainly true. This is most certainly good. This is most certainly for you.