easter-friday

GOOD FRIDAY: BETRAYAL, ARREST, TRIALS, CRUCIFIXION (April 3, AD 33)
Matt 26:47-27:61; Mark 14:43-15:47; Luke 22:47-23:56; John 18-19

Judas betrayed Jesus with the kiss of death around midnight.

In the last hours of his life, he was tried by the Sanhedrin, and then handed over to Pilate who offered to release Jesus because he’d done nothing deserving of death. Jewish leaders demanded the release of Barabbas--a murderer--over Jesus. They forced Jesus to carry his cross towards Golgotha, the place of the skull until soldiers seized Simon of Cyrene to carry Jesus’'cross for him.

Why is this "Good Friday? It was there that Jesus died for you and me on that cross as a pleasing sacrifice to God soaking up every bit of the just wrath we deserved and ushering in true forgiveness with God. Good Friday isn't just a good day, it’s a great day for believers. The scandalous cross blazes with white-hot hope for sinners.

Let's consider Jesus's seven statements from the cross. Jesus’ first three statements from the cross came between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Friday. They crucified Jesus at 9 a.m. on Friday, with two other criminals, one on each side of Christ.

Statement One, Luke 23:33-34

And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

Statement Two, Luke 23:35-43

And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Statement Three, John 19:25-27

…standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

Jesus’ last four statements from the cross came between noon and 3 p.m. on the Friday of his death after he had hung on the cross for hours. Here we read of darkness and silence falling over the land for 3 hours before Jesus made his last three statements and died.

Statement Four, Mark 15:33-34

And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Statement Five, John 19:28-29

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth.

Statement Six, John 19:30

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Statement Seven, Luke 23:46

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.

Consider this. When Jesus said, "It is finished," (John 19:30) it signaled that he completed the mission his Father sent him to accomplish. “It is finished” means Jesus fully satisfied God’s wrath for us. “It is finished” proclaims that Jesus took all of our sins—past, present, and future—to be dealt with at the cross to pay our debt in full e.g. we are forgiven. “It is finished” declares that rebels who put their faith in Christ have a brand new identity as children of God. Murderers, thieves, self-righteous Pharisees, cowards, formerly demon-possessed sinners, who were guilty and filthy are declared clean and righteous with those three words, “It is finished.”

So in an ironic turn, Jesus saying, “It is finished,” is really just the beginning for those in Christ who are born again to eternal life and an inheritance kept in heaven for them.

Jesus’ death was met by an earthquake, the wall, like the veil of the temple, was rent from top to bottom, and tombs gave up dead saints, and all those who came and witnessed these things beat their chests in horror.

Reflection

  1. Is Good Friday Good for you? Do you know Christ as your King?
  2. What would life be like if Jesus didn’t die for our sins?
  3. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?
  4. Do you take God’s forgiveness for granted? Do you struggle to trust that you are forgiven in Christ?
  5. What does, “It is finished,” mean for you?