Good Friday 2026 -The only way for our salvation

 Good Friday 2026 -The only way for our salvation

 

Today is the most solemn day in our Christian calendar—Good Friday.  A day that may seem to be filled with sorrow, yet it holds the deepest revelations of love, sacrifice, and the power of redemption.  It reveals the standard of love that Jesus asks of us when he says love one another as I have loved you. It is a day that calls us to reflect on the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ and the profound impact it has on our lives. As we remember the events of Good Friday, we visualize our Lord, weary and burdened, carrying the heavy cross through the streets of Jerusalem.  Each step He took was weighed down with the weight of the world’s sin, our sin.  The images of His beaten and bruised body should stir something within  us.  Why? Why did He endure such suffering?  Why did He choose a path of pain and humiliation? Why did God believe that this was the only way to pay for our eternal life in heaven. Does this show us just how serious our sin is – even when we think – it’s not that bad – everyone’s doing it.

 

God’s immeasurable love for each of us is revealed in John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."  Good Friday is that love.  Jesus did not see any other way than the way of the cross;  Even though in the garden of Gethsemane he begged his father to remove it from him Jesus shows us the depths of His commitment to our being saved from the punishment of sin. God made him who had no sin to become our sin so we could become his righteousness.

 

As we remember Jesus’ suffering, we become aware that suffering is an unavoidable part of our human experience.  In our lives, we encounter trials, heartache, and moments of despair.  Yet, we find comfort in the fact that Jesus understands our pain.  In Hebrews 4:15-16, we read, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence..."

 

On Good Friday, we are reminded that our suffering is because of our sin and our sin is the reason for Christ’s sacrifice. And therefore, just as Jesus death on the cross was not the end of the story, our struggles are not the end of the story as we reflect on Jesus’ resurrection and hope. Good Friday is mysteriously part of God plan revealed in Old Testament prophecy.  From the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane to the moment of His final breath, we see the unfolding of God’s plan for humanity.  Isaiah 53:5 proclaims, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the  punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds, we are healed."  Each prophecy fulfilled in the suffering and death of Christ underscores God’s plan for our salvation.

 

We are called to remember this in times of doubt.  When life throws challenges our way, let us cling to the truth that God’s promises are just that – promises. And Paul says – God’s promises cannot be revoked.  Good Friday is a reminder that even in moments of darkness, there is a greater plan at work to bring us light. So, let us not forget that Good Friday calls us to remember the cause of the cross. Our sin.

 

Being a disciple of Christ also means carrying our own crosses. Not ignoring our cause in Jesus death but bearing the weight of our sin when we are tempted and feel it’s easier to sin  and seek forgiveness than resist the temptation. Jesus said in Luke 9:23, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."

Good Friday challenges us to embody the sacrifice of Christ in our daily lives. It compels us to love without condition, to forgive without limits, and to serve without seeking recognition.

 

As we reflect on the cross, let us ask ourselves, how can we be vessels of Christ’s love in a broken world? The same love that saw Jesus deny himself. So let us remember that Good Friday is the start of the greatest love story ever told that leads to the greatest gift ever given. Eternal life in heaven. As Paul says – the wages of sin is death – the price Jesus paid. But the free gift of God is eternal life in heaven where there will be no more suffering or death. It is a story of sacrifice, suffering, and ultimately, victory through the resurrection.  

Though today we mourn the reality of the cross, we do so with the knowledge that Sunday is coming—a day of hope and renewal. May the events of this day transform us, inspire us, and lead us closer to the heart of Christ.

Let us go forth, embracing the cross, proclaiming the Good News, and living out the love we have received. Amen.