"Good" Friday?

Crucifixion Friday, Execution Friday, Death Friday.

Take 20 seconds and try to imagine actually being there to witness Jesus in his final hour. Really, go ahead and picture it in your mind.

Of all the words you could use to describe Jesus in physical and spiritual torment, probably the last one you’d think of is “good.”

It takes divine insight to see the slaughter of an innocent man on a wooden instrument of execution and see anything “good.”

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

God's perfect justice always demands punishment for the wrongs we have done. But God's perfect mercy always wells up with deep compassion and desire to withhold punishment.

Irreconcilable?

On the cross, the Father put both His justice and His mercy on display for all the world to see.

It was there where He declared Jesus guilty in our place. He died for every sin - for the evil we have done and the good we have failed to do.

The Cross is the final victory of God over sin and death and hell, reconciling both His justice and His mercy.

His blood was shed to save everyone who from that moment on and through these past twenty centuries would ever come to believe. The Cross is our only hope in life and death and His blood still saves today.

By sight it’s Execution Friday.  

Only by faith is it Good Friday.

And probably for most non-Christians, it’s “Whatever and Who Cares” Friday. The Bible reminds us that the cross will always be foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18-25) to all who refuse to fall on their knees and confess in this mortal life that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

But to us who are being saved, the message of the cross is the power of God (Romans 1:16-17). Based on some of these passages, we wrote a song called I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel.

And here’s a sobering modern hymn we wrote to remember what exactly we we're saved from and what fearfully awaits all those who continue to reject the Gospel to the very end: For Our God Spared Not the Angels

If you are a follower of Christ, this is your story: saved from God's wrath, saved by God's mercy, saved to one day stand in the very presence of Absolute Truth, Beauty, Goodness and Love: God Himself.

Saved from God.  

Saved by God.  

Saved to God.

This Good Friday and Easter let your heart tremble and adore Him.