Text:
Mark 15:37:
“And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.”
Theme:
What Is Good Friday?
Introduction:
Traditionally, the Easter season has been listed as the second most widely known Christian holiday only to be exceeded in popularity by Christmas. The Easter season is composed of not only the actual holiday of Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, but also Lent and Good Friday. Lent sets the tone for the time of Easter in its acknowledgement of the suffering that the believer must endure to be “like” Jesus. Something must be “given up for Lent”. On the other hand, Good Friday celebrates the anniversary of the Crucifixion of Jesus, the ultimate act of suffering and sacrifice. While Lent sets the tone for Easter, Good Friday gives the formal introduction to Easter for the believer. Both the historical occurrence and the current commemoration of Easter have Good Friday as both precursory and required.
Body:
The celebration of Good Friday had its beginning in the feasts that were done in honor of Easter…one of Jesus’ death and the other of His resurrection. These feasts were always held on Fridays and later evolved into annual celebrations. From this tradition, the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325 established Easter as the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox, and Good Friday followed accordingly as the Friday just before Easter.
The historical occurrence of Good Friday involves all of the events during that day that led up to Jesus’ death on the cross. The Gospels give accounts that in a combined fashion depict what happened during this day up to Jesus’ death, such as:
- Jesus being sentenced to die on the cross
- Jesus being whipped and beaten
- A crown of thorns being put on Jesus’ head
- Jesus’ being mocked and spat upon
- Jesus being forced to carry His cross on the via delorosa to Golgotha, or the place of the skull
- Jesus being nailed to the cross and hung on the cross between two convicted thieves
- Jesus remaining on the cross from the 6th to the 9th hour during a darkness that came over the land
- Jesus being pierced in the side with a sword and the blood flowing from His side to the ground
- Finally, as Mark:15:37 says, “And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.”
The key to it all is the fact that Jesus died. Jesus had to suffer and die in order that God’s Will would be done. As it says in Matthew 16:21, “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.” Just as Good Friday is precursory to Easter, Jesus’ death is required for Jesus’ resurrection. Therefore, if Jesus had not died on the cross, He would not have been able to have the title of the Christ, the role of the Savior, and the position of our Lord. Jesus had to die.
Then, the believer needed for Jesus to die. The sins of the world had ensured man’s doom. Mankind needed a way to be brought back into relationship with God. For this purpose, we know from John 3:16 that, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Then, as Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Jesus did not come to live; He came to DIE in order that we might live. As it says in Romans 3:25, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” Believing would be futile if Jesus had not died as the Perfect Sacrifice, the Sacrificial Lamb. We would not have freedom from the bondage of past and original sin nor would we have a right to the “Tree of Life” in Salvation. Good Friday is the day that commemorates, celebrates, and reemphasizes this Crucifixion of Jesus…the day that was Jesus’ gate between mortality and divinity and our entrance to the way of Salvation.
Conclusion:
Good Friday is named with a description to show the importance of the day. Originally, “good” was not the only adjective used to describe the day of Crucifixion. It is known as the “Holy and Great” Friday in Greek, the “Holy” Friday in Romance languages, and “Sorrowful” Friday in German. “Good” is the simplified expression that American, Christian, and then Baptist, especially Black Baptist, traditions have adopted. The Bible gives precedence for the use of the term “good” in Genesis when God looked at His creation and said that it was “good”. It would be so befitting of the use of this term with this commemorative Friday. Whenever the believer looks to the Crucifixion of Jesus, they have to describe His being the Sacrificial Lamb as being “good”…good for every one of us in our need for Salvation.
At the Cross…At the Cross…Where I first saw the light…And the burdens of my heart rolled away…It was there by faith…I received my sight…And now I am happy all the day!
#156
