Good Friday.

Good Friday.

Why is the Friday before Easter called "Good Friday" and what does it mean to us? If we were to be truthful, what happened on the day Jesus was Crucified had only one good thing occur and that was God held back His judgment in a most terrible time.

In German, it is called "Sorrowful Friday" and of all terms used to describe the day, sorrowful is the correct one. For the events that occurred, surrounding the death of Christ, showed the depravity of people and if thinking correctly about Good Friday, people should do as James said and weep and morn their sin.

Today's Christians are taught to be happy, peppy, which is our interpretation of being a light unto the word. Light brightens and so Christian people go about their day to brighten the hopes of others in an attempt to win people to Christ.

Though Christ told us that He came that we might have abundant joy, the scriptures do not tell us that we should be joyful all the time. James writes, Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:9-10 (NKJV)

The story of Good Friday, as told in the gospels paints a picture of humankind at its worst. It is because we are double minded, weak sinners that we should at times become humble before the Lord and consider what our sin produces. When doing this, we can as James writes morn in the gloom of our sin.

If it is only one time a year, we should look deep into our hearts and expose ourselves for what we are. We are sinners and our sin sent Christ to the cross. Because we did not resist the Devil, Christ had to die. Because we acted without restraint, God had to watch His only son die on this day we call Good Friday.

Luke's account of this day tells us that though His disciples were told what would happen, they did not hear Him and the events that occurred caught them off guard; they were not ready. Luke writes, Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again." Luke 18:31-33 (NKJV)

Though it could not have been spoken any plainer these men did not give the word of God much thought. It passed them by and they acted without applying it to their life. This is a reason to morn, for at times, we too do not apply God's words to our life and because of this we become narrow minded and foolish; for this Christ had to die on this day that we call good. There is nothing good about a man or woman that does not apply God's word to their life.

Matthew tells us that just prior to being taken by the temple police, Jesus could not get His disciples to pray, instead of standing with Him in prayer, they slept only to awake to their Lord being taken captive.

Perhaps it was best that they did sleep; for when they were awake, Peter took a sword and cut off a servant of the High Priest's ear. Then later as Jesus was being tortured and tried, Peter would claim that he did not know Jesus.

This too paints a picture of humankind that is not good. We all have a tendency not to pray, but are many times caught napping and when situations occur we are not ready to handle them. We lash out in bitterness, say things we should not, and are well known for deigning the Lord. Many of us never stop to recall those times, for they are the times we are at our worst, and because we are this way, Jesus was killed on the day we call good.

On this day Jesus stood before the High Priest and was condemned to death. The greatest figure head of the church did not know the Son of God. His presence and dignity, overshadowed the Son of God and people followed by joining in the chant, "Crucify Him."

On this day we call good, let it be known that the same is happening today. Pastors are preaching and commanding respect because of the honor they project, but their heart is far from God. They want the financial gain that church administration brings, and do not recognize God's Son, who comes to them as a lowly figure, poor, rejected, and despised.

On this day Jesus stood before the legal courts and though recognized for His goodness, the governor feared men more than God. Pilate saw Jesus for who He was and knew that an innocent man was being framed.

Trying a political angle to free Jesus, the people chose Barabbas instead; this caused Pilate to wash his hands of the matter. Trying to put distance between the situation and himself, Pilate reacted like our modern day governments who try to please everyone in fear of making anyone side mad.

Because of the actions of a few, Jesus is being pushed out of the courts, out of the classrooms, an out of our civic centers. This is another reason to mourn on this day we call good.

As if the events of this day were not condemning enough, one of Jesus own people committed suicide instead of seeking forgiveness. Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and in remorse hung himself on this day that we call good.

Terrible sins, that we would not expect Christians to do, happened this day. We all like to think of ourselves as good, peaceable, pleasant individuals who attend church; we do good things, and love God. Let the truth be known, our hearts are quick to sin and the confusion caused from the distance that sin brings to our relationship with God, clouds our thinking.

This is why James would have us reconsider our ways, morn, and weep for our sin. Your sin killed the savior. Each hammer stroke that connected to the head of the nails that pierced his flesh had a sound and that sound should echo through our heads; for it is the sound of our sin killing God's only son.

He was beaten because He allowed it, but beaten because we deserved it and He took our punishment. The Father held back His anger towards the sin of man, because His Son gave up his life to suffer the death that we deserved.

On this day called good, whips of leather, layered with glass, hooks, and nails, dug into his back and flesh was torn exposing bones.

On this day that we call good, He was pummeled, spit on, and called names as the demons of Lucifer's brigade flew in and out of the hearts of men, freely inciting more torture with devilish imaginations.

The same Lucifer that Eve listened to in the garden, now had the ear and control of merciless men, who would do as they were told. When men do not resist the devil, all holiness is gone and evil inspired actions can seem right. On this day called good the leaders of the faith of the Jews stood by and watched as the light of God was snuffed out, in hopes that He would never bother them again.

In anger, God could have rained fire and brimstone as did He on Sodom and Gomorrah, but He withheld His wrath and directed it towards His own son. All because this son could die in our place; for God looks at evil hearted men and sees value. Our creator sees the good that can come from our life when we lower ourselves to serve others like He served the church.

He gave His life that we might have life eternal. He became poor that we might become rich. He chose those who were alienated from God and brought them to His Father as adopted children. He shares His resources with us as heirs to the Kingdom of God. Yet on this day, that we call good; we should morn and lament, repent, and think on the things that sent Him to the cross.

Each of us has a job in the Kingdom of God and gifts that we have been given to serve the Lord and with gladness we should take those gifts, giving of ourselves as our reasonable service. Yet if we do not spend time in remorse for our sin, we can never serve God with the fervor that He desires.

Though we do not seek to change the name of "Good Friday" we must acknowledge that the only good is God and we are sinners who are worthy to suffer death; yet, because of the work of the cross, we are forgiven.

Jesus Christ came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. He came that our joy may be full and He came because He loves all men. No matter the sin they have committed, we are instructed to go to them and preach the gospel. Then once they have opened the door of their heart, we are to encourage them to baptism; for baptism is significant that we die to our sinful life as it goes into the grave to bury with Christ. And if buried with Christ, our bodies raise a new with Christ; able to resist sin and open the kingdom to others.

Does this day find you lacking as a man or woman of God? Is your relationship suffering because your sin has been glossed over? If we nonchalantly go through our day, the actions of others often become our own. The trends of society are invited to our lifestyles and though we are called to come out from them and be separate, we merge as one.

IF so, then this day is truly good for today you can set straight your relationship with God. You can come to the foot of His cross and lay your sin at His feet. It is here at the cross that you can find forgives and at the fool of the cross you will find grace.

However, at the foot of the cross the blood of Christ will drip on you and you will wear it for all to see. They will wonder why you did not distance yourself and remember that you are the one who knelt at His feet. They will reject you and persecute you as they did Him. He was despised and you will be to if you come to the cross.

Yet the good that this day becomes will be truly apparent on judgment day as people are allowed to enter the gates of heaven and those who distanced themselves from God and their own sin will find a road that leads to further distance, outer darkness, and that day, remorse is too late.

This day, Good Friday, can it be a truly good day to you?