Good
Friday
Destined
to die – destined for eternal life.
At
our community meal a few weeks ago I was chatting with one of our guest who was
enjoying his cup of coffee after his meal.
We
have lots of chats about politics, religion and sport – the 3 topics that you
say you shouldn’t talk about.
As
he was sipping his coffee I made the comment to him – did you know that 100% of
coffee drinkers end up dying.
He
was shocked and wondered whether he should give up drinking coffee – until he
realised the logic behind it.
One
of the other guests responded – yes, and 100% of pastors die also.
It’s
a topic no one likes to talk about that we must all face the reality of death
sometime in the future.
Death
is a common experience of life.
All
who lived in the past died. Every one of us now living will die sooner or
later.
It
is estimated that 150,000 people die each day but it’s something we don’t want
to talk about.
On
Good Friday we often forget that there were three crosses on Calvary, a
criminal on each side of Jesus.
These
two men died just as much as Jesus died.
Why
then do we Christians make so much of the cross of Jesus?
How
is Jesus' death different from all other deaths?
We
tend to make a special issue out of Jesus' cross.
We
wear it as jewellery.
The
cross is a mark of our faith.
We
even sing, “when I survey the wondrous cross” even though it was by the brutal
cross that Jesus died.
Was
Jesus' death different because he suffered?
That
could not be the answer, because the two men crucified with Jesus suffered
equally with him.
The
hurt of the nails in hands and feet was as bad for them as for Jesus.
The
three equally shared the agony of the noonday heat.
Since
Jesus' legs were not broken, perhaps the other two suffered even more physical
pain than Jesus did.
Jesus'
death is different because it was the fulfilment of God’s plan for us.
Jesus
always referred to his death as being part of God’s will.
Thy
will be done are the words he prayed before his death.
The
cross was God’s plan from the beginning of the world.
God
had it in mind from the time that Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden.
From
that time, God began a plan of bringing us back to him.
God
decided to clean up the world by the Flood and continued a new humanity in Noah
and his family.
But
this didn’t work and God looked to a new people, the Hebrews.
He
called Abraham and led him to a new country where he was to be a great nation
and, through him, the world would be blessed.
God
brought his people out of Egyptian slavery under Moses.
He
led them into a Promised Land and gave them a king.
God
put his hopes in David and made his kingdom great.
None
of this was working with bringing people back to God as they kept going after
other gods.
So
God looked to one person, his chosen one, his own son, Jesus of Nazareth.
Through
this one man, sin was placed entirely on him and through Jesus we now find
access and acceptance with God.
Because
the cross was planned, the death of Jesus was different to other deaths.
The
cross was no accident.
Jesus
was always master of the situation and reminded the people that he laid his
life down on his own accord and that no one took away his life.
This
was God's work of bringing us back to him, and Jesus was obedient to that will
of his Father.
In
the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus experienced the will of God and nothing could
keep him from obeying.
Just
before he died, he gave a shout of victory, "It is finished!"
The
work of restoring us began from the time of Adam, and at last completed,
finished, at Jesus’ death.
This
great work of returning us back to God was completed on the cross with Jesus’
death.
It
was done for each one of us, for you and for me.
Jesus'
death is different to other deaths because it had a purpose.
The
cross was a place of sacrifice.
His
death was an offering for our sin.
No
other death had this meaning or purpose.
When
Adam and Eve sinned it demanded a penalty.
God
warned that if they ate from the forbidden fruit they would certainly die.
The
amazing thing is that this penalty of death was taken by God on his own son
Jesus Christ on the cross.
He
is our substitute.
As
the Bible says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him
we might become the righteousness of God."
The
price was paid for our sins through the life of Jesus.
The
purpose of the cross was to save us from eternal death.
Jesus'
cross is different.
No
one and nothing else can save a person from sin and give assurance of life in
heaven.
Because
of the cross, the way is open for our return to God.
Now
we can know for sure that God will accept us, forgive us, and love us.
God
offers us mercy and full forgiveness.
What
a tragedy that God goes to this great expense - opens his arms to us and so
many refuse to come!
Even
as Christians we can sometimes forget to appreciate what our eternal life cost
God.
Jesus'
death was different because of who the person was on the cross – the son of
God.
This
really made the difference in the three crosses on Good Friday.
Two
were only human beings who were dying as payment for their crimes.
In
the middle there was a human being also, but more than just human.
Here
was the Son of God paying the price of OUR sin.
There
is no other way to explain the perfect life and death of Jesus which we have
come to call Good Friday.
Jesus
is God on the cross suffering and dying for us.
There
should be a deep sense of gratitude that calls us to follow and be his forever.
Without
a doubt, the greatest reason for Jesus' death being different from all other
deaths in history was the fact that his death lasted but three days.
All
others have died and stayed dead.
Jesus
rose from the dead never again to die.
On
this Good Friday we watch him die as one of three on crosses.
And
St Paul reassures us that if we die with him we shall also live with him when
he rises on Easter.
So,
this is not only a remembrance of the world's most unique death, but it is an
occasion for great celebration even though it was the most horrific of deaths.
How
glorious will Easter then be - we shall have new life, new beings in Christ!
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