Why Is The Murder Of Jesus Called Good Friday?预览

What does Good Friday teach us? 

One of the important lessons of Good Friday is that death is not the end.

Pastor S.M.Lockridge, in his classic sermon “It’s Friday night, but Sunday’s coming” writes

It’s Friday. Jesus is praying. Peter’s a sleeping. Judas is betraying
But Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday. Pilate’s struggling. The council is conspiring. The crowd is vilifying
They don’t even know that Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday. The disciples are running like sheep without a shepherd
Mary’s crying. Peter is denying
But they don’t know that Sunday’s a comin’

It’s Friday. The Romans beat my Jesus
They robe him in scarlet, they crown him with thorns
But they don’t know that Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday. See Jesus walking to Calvary
His blood dripping His body stumbling and his spirit’s burdened
But you see, it’s only Friday Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday, the world’s winning, people are sinning and evil’s grinning

It’s Friday, The soldiers nail my Savior’s hands to the cross,
They nail my Savior’s feet to the cross and then they raise him up next to criminals.

It’s Friday But let me tell you something Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday, the earth trembles, the sky grows dark. My King yields his spirit

It’s Friday, hope is lost, death has won, sin has conquered and Satan’s just a laughin’

It’s Friday, Jesus is buried. A soldier stands guard and a rock is rolled into place.

But it’s Friday It is only Friday. Sunday is a comin’!

We need to re-examine our concept of death. Death is not the end. But it is only the beginning. The sting of death and the fear of death has been removed because Jesus died on the cross for us. 

The spiritual application of this truth is equally true. When Jesus said “Unless a corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies it bears forth much fruit” (John 12:24)

Jesus tells us to die so we can live. He invites us to surrender all the illusions we have about what makes a life good and worthwhile so we can discover real life. And then he walks with us, every step of the way, as we die a thousand deaths in the process of letting his life go deeper and deeper into us. 

Would you be willing to "take up your cross" (Mark 8:34-35), die to self and experience His resurrection power flowing through you so that you can live to the fullest? Because with God, the end is the beginning.

Endings that are beginnings, death that is life—God will always confound our expectations. 

Its Friday night, but Sunday’s coming. Without Good Friday, there would be no Resurrection morning.

Quote: 

“Life is wasted if we do not grasp the glory of the cross, cherish it for the treasure that it is, and cleave to it as the highest price of every pleasure and the deepest comfort in every pain. What was once foolishness to us—a crucified God—must become our wisdom and our power and our only boast in this world.” ― John Piper

Prayer: 

Lord, I thank You that because You died for me, I do not have to fear death anymore. I thank You that You have shown me that death is not the end, but only the beginning. Help me to be willing to die to myself so that I can rise again to new life. Amen