Victor's Last Breath (Good Friday)

We tend to think of Christ’s death as a defeat and His resurrection as a victory. So we sing slow, sad songs on Good Friday and uplifting, upbeat ones on Easter Sunday. We make a grim face saying, “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming.”

However, all the events that immediately preceded and followed Jesus’ last breath point to the fact that something unique took place right there. The tipping point, a threshold of no return that had already been crossed. Theologian John Stott puts it brilliantly:

“What looks like (and indeed was) the defeat of goodness by evil is also, and more certainly, the defeat of evil by goodness. Overcome there, he was himself overcoming. Crushed by the ruthless power of Rome, he was himself crushing the serpent’s head (Gn. 3:15). The victim was the victor, and the cross is still the throne from which he rules the world.” — from “Cross of Christ” (1986, p.228)

Satan wants us to see the cross as a defeat because it was his defeat, not God’s. The Lord accomplished all of His goals on Friday night with Jesus’ last breath. The resurrection that followed on Sunday is a seal confirming its truthfulness and giving us hope for the future.

Think: What circumstances do you see in the passages about Jesus’ Crucifixion and death that demonstrate something special was happening on that Friday? How do these circumstances help you see Jesus’ death as a victory rather than a defeat? How does it change your perception of the Crucifixion?

Pray: Lord, help us shout victoriously with You, “IT IS FINISHED!”. Help us enjoy fellowship with You where all the barriers are torn apart, and our brokenness is redeemed. Help us to see Your life-giving power in action in our city. May our community be filled with awe and amazement before Your rugged-wood throne.

Respond: On this Good Friday, what might it look like in your life to live in the power of Christ’s victory, even if circumstances don’t look victorious? How does seeing the cross as a sign of victory impact your perception of God? Of His way of doing things? Of the Christian life? Of your circumstances?

Author: Andrei Kasmovich, Russian Translator