lest we forget

Today is Good Friday. I've always wondered why it was called Good Friday. There really isn't anything 'good' about it other than what it signifies in the life of a Christian. Some say that the word 'good' really means 'holy'.I much prefer Holy Friday. I came across a photo that had been posted somewhere that said "Good Friday - the day death died'. Oh, yes, that sums it up pretty good doesn't it. The day that victory over death was won. The day that our LORD gave His life freely on the Cross for all who would believe on Him. The day that Jesus suffered and endured horrific agony on a cruel cross for the likes of me. A sinner. Unworthy.

We are so guilty of 'prettying up' the cross and what took place there. It was anything but pretty. It was ugly. It was bloody. It was more than just 'He died on the Cross for our sins'. Oh, it was so much more than that. My Jesus had to become sin. My Jesus, who was without sin, had to become ALL sin. My sin and your sin and all the sins of the whole world. Past, present and future. He had to become ugly, disgusting, heinous, dirty, filthy sin. Our Lord, who was pure and spotless had to become the sum total of all depravity and wickedness. For me. For you. 

"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land

unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried

with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that

is to say, My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?"

(Matthew 27:45-46)

Our Lord and Savior, felt rejection on the Cross. He had to be separated from His Father. He had to be forsaken before He breathed out His last breath, before He uttered those word, "It is finished". 

And yet, this is the time of the year that we turn our focus strictly to the resurrection. And what a glorious event that was indeed! It was when Victory over death came! It was fulfillment of Scripture! But we must never remember the resurrection of our Lord without recalling what had to take place for that to happen! Let's never forget the price that our Savior paid so that we could have forgiveness of sins. And eternal life with Him! Let's never forget that without His death there would have been no resurrection.

"And behold there was a great earthquake; for the angel
of the Lord descended from heaven, and came
and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it"
(Matthew 28:2)

Oh, glory Hallelujah! Our Lord was no longer in the tomb. Our Lord was victorious over the bondage of death. Our Lord was no longer dead.

"He is not here; for He is risen, as He said."
(Matthew 28:6)

Let's shout this from the rooftops! He is Risen!!! He is Risen, indeed!