How Was Friday Good?

When you consider the events of the day, how can it be a Good Friday?  It began in the wee hours with a betrayal.  One who walked with Jesus for three years, who knew him well, who sat under his teaching, who saw his righteousness, and who supposedly understood who he was sold Jesus to his enemies for the price of a common slave.  How could this be good?

That betrayal was followed by even greater treachery.  An illegal and secret religious trial was conducted where liar after liar gave false testimony about Jesus.  Furthermore, the trial was conducted with physical abuse of the accused.  The trial was such a farce and the witnesses so unscrupulous that they could not agree on their own lies enough to get a consistent testimony about Jesus.  The only agreement in testimony was in the fact that Jesus claimed that he could destroy and rebuild the temple in 3 days – hardly an offense worthy of conviction.  Finally, in desperation, the High Priest demanded that Jesus tell them whether he was the Messiah, the Son of God.  Jesus answered truthfully, for which he was condemned of blasphemy.  In itself that was a tragedy because it was neither a lie nor blasphemy – it was fact.  How could this be good?

He was then taken before the regional governor, Pilate, who repeatedly questioned him but found no fault in him.  Because he was Galilean, he sent him to Herod, who again questioned him but could likewise not find anything in him deserving of condemnation.  Nevertheless, Herod and his soldiers treated him with contempt and dressed him up as a king, mocking him before sending him back to Pilate.  Pilate tried to release Jesus because he knew he was innocent. Being Passover, he would often release a criminal as a sign of good will, so he offered as a choice to be released Jesus or a hardened criminal and murderer – Barabbas.  The Jews chose the murderer.  They then demanded the death penalty for the innocent Jesus.  Even Pilate’s wife knew what was happening was wrong, begging her husband not to have anything to do with “that righteous man.”  How could this be good?

Pilate had Jesus beaten and scoured to within an inch of his life, thinking surely this would satisfy the crowd – but it did not.  When they began talking about Jesus claiming to be the Son of God, Pilate became scared and tried everything to release him.  It was to no avail as the crowd demanded his crucifixion.  Finally, having washed his hands of the matter, Pilate had Jesus beaten yet again and delivered over to be crucified.  Knowing his innocence but fearing the Jews, he condemned him to death. How could this be good?

How can it be a Good Friday when, after all of the injustice suffered to that point, this righteous man suffered even more?  He suffered the most excruciating death possible – Roman crucifixion.  With his wrists nailed to the cross-beam of the cross, breathing was a painful and tedious process.  The hanging by the wrists meant that pressures on the lungs prevented breath unless one pushed up with the legs and feet.  But the feet also were nailed to the tree and so pushing up to breathe resulted in unimaginable pain in the feet.  Traditionally, this exhausting process could go on for days until the condemned simply no longer had the strength to push against the cross and so suffocated to death.  On this day, though, the Roman soldiers would come by and break the legs so that the deaths would happen rapidly, for the Jews would not stand for having bodies hung during this holiest of Sabbaths.  Jesus, however, was already dead.

How can we possibly call this good?

It is good because it should have been me. I am the one that deserves death, for I am a sinner - and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

It is good because despite the appearances of so many injustices, everything that happened that day was orchestrated by God the Father – with Jesus, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit in full accord.  It is good because Jesus willingly went through that pain and anguish and torture – and even more – he did it for my sake.  It is good because on that day he took upon himself all the collective sins of the world (including mine).  It is good because on that day he drank the wrath of God intended for me.  And the same is true for you - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

It is what we call “The Divine Exchange” or “The Beautiful Exchange” – I give Jesus my unrighteousness; he gives me his righteousness.  It is good because he did it willingly and in love: For God demonstrated his love for us in this – Christ died for us (Rom 5:8).

It is good because it was only temporary.  Three days later Jesus would rise from the grave to live forever more – the firstfruits from among the dead.  And he is alive still today whether you believe it or not.   

It is good because if we place our faith in what Jesus did on that horrible Friday, we too can have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life – our own resurrection from the dead.  The penalty of sin has been paid for.  We are simply to repent and believe. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 ESV)

It really was a Good Friday.  Consider the foreshadowing of this day’s events through the eyes of a man who lived over a thousand years earlier.  He also was a man who was treated with malice, was betrayed by those closest to him, and who suffered many unjust punishments.  This man, Joseph, said these words so appropriately:

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20 NIV)

It may not have seemed good at the time, but what man intended for evil, God mean for good – for the saving of many lives.  Will yours be one of them?