“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” -Isaiah 53:5.
I am a filthy sinner. I fall short of the glory of God daily, and if God were a fair God, he would strike me dead right now.
This is not my fate, though. I share a precious gift along with all born-again Christians. This is the gift of forgiveness and everlasting life through our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s not because of anything I did, though; it is solely because of what he did on Good Friday. If you’ve never heard this good news before, let me share a story with you.
Man chose a life of sin separate from God in the Garden of Eden when they deliberately disobeyed him, causing a world full of evil and sin to plague humankind. God’s perfect creation was turned into Satan’s playground. Man chose this path separate from God, and we all spit in his face day in and day out. Because of this, there was no place in Heaven for us.
A perfect and just God cannot allow sin into His presence; His nature doesn’t permit it. This leaves Man separated from his Creator for eternity, with no way to save himself. The story doesn’t end there, though.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” -John 3:16.
Jesus, God himself, stepped down from Heaven and lived a perfect life among his creation, just to save it. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, around the age of 33, being hailed as the Messiah by the Jewish people. They waved palm leaves and chanted “Hosanna!” as he rode into town on a donkey. This is after Jesus had performed dozens of miracles and exorcisms and gained a following because of his profound teachings. The Jews were certain their Messiah had come to overthrow the Roman government and free them at last. However, his reason for being here was different.
Less than a week after Jesus entered Jerusalem, the Pharisees called for his death, accusing him of blasphemy. Jesus claimed to be God, the way, the truth, and the life. After they bribed one of his followers to betray him, Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. Deemed guilty before the Sanhedrin, he was condemned to die. Even Pontius Pilate found no guilt in him and asked if the Jews wanted to release Jesus or Barabbas, a murderer. The Jews chose Barabbas, leading Jesus to the cross.
After being beaten nearly to death, Jesus made the march with his cross to Golgotha. The perfect and innocent Son of God was soon to be crucified by his own creation. Just days after they hailed him as the Messiah, they called for his execution. Jesus was then crucified, and after hours of torture, he uttered “tetelestai,” or, “it is finished”. He was then laid to rest in a tomb, and his site was guarded by Roman soldiers.
Now begs the question: why would Jesus do this? Why would He leave Heaven’s comfort to live in this fallen world, only to face an excruciating death? The answer: God loved you too much to spend eternity without you. Your Creator saw you in your sin and still deemed you worth dying for. Jesus absorbed all creation’s sin on that cross. He took the punishment you deserved so you could be free. He paid the price so you could have eternal life. Your sins are forgiven because of what Jesus endured on Good Friday, and you are no longer doomed.
Here’s the rest of the story.
Just 3 days later, on Easter Sunday, Jesus walked out of that tomb after defeating death. Proving to everyone that he was God himself, he rose again before ascending to the Father in Heaven.
Our Lord is not dead; he is indeed risen. He is victorious over sin and death, and reigns from the right hand of the Father. Oh, death, where is thy sting? The head of the serpent is finally crushed.
So what do you do with this information? How does this story apply to you? You simply have to place your faith in Jesus Christ, and that he paid the price for your sin. You’re not called to live a perfect life. You’re called to make Jesus Lord over your life, and repent of your sins. This does not mean that you will never sin again; it means that when you ultimately will, Jesus’ blood covers it all. You’re called to walk forward in confidence in what Jesus did for you.
My challenge to you on this Good Friday is to take up your own cross, just as Jesus commanded. Take up your cross in this fallen world. Do not live for the world, do not live for sin. Live every day for Christ and what he has done for you. But most importantly, actively fight the good fight while you are here. Jesus does not call us to sit still. He calls us to get busy winning souls for Christ, while standing against the evil that reigns on Earth. This will put a target on your back, and Satan will have his sight set on making your life as difficult as possible.
You will be ridiculed by non-believers, and accused of believing that you’re better than everyone else. On the contrary, us Christians are aware of our shortcomings. We acknowledge the fact that we have no salvation by our own merits. It is Christ alone who speaks through us, we are just the vessel.
But this is the only fight worth having. We don’t live for this world; we live for Christ and for eternity. So, take heart in your troubles, as the Word says. Rejoice in being worthy of persecution. And remember that this world killed your Lord before you. You have an audience of one, and that one is Jesus Christ.
On this Good Friday, take a second and reflect. Reflect on the time that God died for Man.
Justin “JP” Plott is the executive producer/co-host of “The Rightside” and co-owner of Rightside Media. You can find him on X @JPRightside.
