"Good Friday-We Remember and are Glad" (John 18-19)

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Today at noon all across the world in many Churches, Christians gathered to remember a man who walked the earth and was nailed to a cross in 33 AD on the preparation day of the Passover feast in Jerusalem. He died as the preparatory lamb whose blood was and is the stain needed for all of mankind to escape the coming judgement by God for all of our sins, my sins and yours (1 Pet 3:18, 1 Cor 5:21, Exo 12:614)…..Is this a fairytale?

….Who is this man they remember…who is this Jesus?….This was not just a man, He was God (Mat 26:63-64, Mk 14:61-62, Lk 22:67-69, John 1:1, 1:14)…Yes unlike many other religions or faiths who have to die for their God….for Christians…Our God came down and died for us…so that we may Live!!!!

So what makes Good Friday Good? What makes Good Friday good news?

......Good Friday is Goood Because 
although Jesus suffered and died on the cross and hung there in my place and in yours (1 John 2:2), we celebrate because He died for all mankind, so that all mankind who believes in Him can live forever (John 3:16). Rom 5:8 says, "But God proves His love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us". 

So we celebrate the greatest love that ever lived, where an innocent man who was also fully God died for us. For all who will receive this love today, He gives the right to be called children of God and says... you have life (John 1:12, John 3:16-17, John 10:10). 

 If this new life resonates with you, I invite you to join all Christians the world over, in this Good Friday celebration. If you are not part of God's family, this invitation is open for you right now, you can pray to God something like this " I confess I am a sinner needing to be saved, I receive Jesus sacrifice for me by faith, and ask you God to come into my life, and make me a new creation in Him, Amen".

If you prayed this sincerely, you are born again (John 3:3). If you need to know more, I invite you to contact me by leaving a comment and I will be glad to be in touch with you. Find a Bible believing Church this Easter and get plugged into the Christian family. You are a new person.

Just know although it might seem strange, that faith in Christ can make all things new, hang in there and you will see what the Lord does with a life surrendered to Him. May this song encourage you that God makes all things new with Christ even when it does not seem like it.

 

If you are already part of the family, I celebrate with you this truth. When I look at the cross I see my shame, my guilt, my depression, my lack of self worth, my insecurities, my anger, my lust, my death ….all nailed to the cross…..all put on Jesus….so that I can take his freedom, his righteous life, His intimacy with a beautiful God and Father. Yes He makes all things new again, the greatest of which is a new life. For these reasons Good Friday is indeed good.

20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. 21 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. 23 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.—1 Cor 15:20-22

I  leave you with this dramatic reading right from the bible put together by the Presbyterian Church Mission online. May this reenactment help open up doors for conversation with your children or your youth group...Now this is true comfort for the soul. 

Happy Good Friday & Happy Easter, we remember, and are glad.
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