Today is Good Friday; a German word for it is Karfreitag, sorrowful Friday. Some people believe it once was called God’s Friday. It was the day Jesus died for sinful humanity and is the beginning of the Easter weekend.
I don’t like to think about the crucifixion. Oh, I love thinking about the Resurrection and the Lord’s triumph over death, but the crucifixion? No. It was too horrible to contemplate.
Because the death of the Lord Jesus was so terrible, I gain a glimpse of the gravity of sin. The earth was covered with darkness when He died, the ground shook, and the graves of many saints burst open. I can imagine the fear and awe that fell upon people watching as they whispered, “This must have actually been the Son of God.” It was a time to strike terror into the hearts of many. Those who loved Him wept. They felt alone, abandoned and without hope.
They could not know, as we know now, that their grief would end in amazement and joy a few days later. Jesus died, but death did not conquer Him. Because He left the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, where He had been placed, because an angel rolled away the stone covering the grave, because of His great love for sinful humanity, we have hope and encouragement and gladness. The darkness gave way to light and salvation replaced despair, all because of Good Friday.
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