Why Good Friday?

Every year, "those Christians" get together, talking about some guy dying on the cross, and supposedly He rises again.

The guy's name? Jesus Christ.

What's the big deal about Good Friday? Why do millions of these people gather at churches across the world to recognize this holiday?

You probably heard the same tale time and time again... Jesus came to earth, died on the Cross, and rose again on Easter Sunday. Sure, we've heard that one before.

But without realizing the significance of this death, Jesus' death is just that... someone dying.

Arguably, one of the most controversial terms in our political correct world today is "hell." I'm not talking about the "Go to Hell, Carolina" chant that Duke students yell at their archrivals every time they play basketball. I'm talking about a real place, the place that when mentioned, a lot of people roll their eyes, saying, "Yeah, right. That place."

Hell IS a real place. It's clear in the Bible what this place is... a lake of fire (Revelation 20:10), where the worm does not die (Mark 9:48), a place that is worth losing an arm or a foot or an eye in order to not getting into it (Mark 9:45-47). It's also a place of complete isolation and separation from the Holy Almighty God (Luke 16:26). For those of you who say "Okay, the Bible says something about it, but is it even true?" There is very little I can do to try and convince you on this point. The best thing I would say to you is, "Read it, and see for yourself." I would challenge you to disprove what we Christians consider God's Word. (And don't think pointing out one verse in one corner and one verse in another corner will be considered a challenge... the Bible is readable, but it must be read properly, just as reading a math textbook requires proper understanding on what it means.)

Why am I pointing out hell in a Good Friday blog post? It is the significance of hell that points out the significance of Jesus Christ's death. If hell really isn't a bad place, then why would we need to be saved by God? If hell is really not a bad destination, then why do Christians make it their mission to preach the Good News to everyone?

I have to admit that this point was driven home to me by Dr. Larry Dixon at Columbia International University in a piece that he wrote and is being used in a Systematic Theology class. If it doesn't matter where we are headed, then Christ's sacrifice is absolutely useless.

Hell is not only a real place, it is a really bad place. It is the eternal place of suffering and turmoil. No amount of attempts of self-preservation will help you once you enter into this place. The pain and the misery that awaits those who are headed in that direction have no idea what is coming next.

Now some of you are saying, "Dude, you're doing the doomsday scenario thing. It's all smoke and alarms. It's not real."

But I'm telling you now... it's real. Not believing does not make it any less rational or real. For those of you who want to use rationality as an argument, let's put it this way... we not only say we know the truth, but we are saying that God's truth is given to us. No one dares to claim they know about everything in this world. However, if there is a supreme God who provides us with the truth, then how is it rational to ignore the truth?

The issue of sin has plagued all mankind since the Fall of Man... courtesy of Adam and Eve. Some of you might say, "Okay, so couldn't God just forgive us?" Yes, He could do that, but then, what love is that? It's about as deep as someone being murdered, and then the victim's family goes "Oh, okay. No big deal. I forgive you." Man died when he sinned against God. The soul corrupted... unable to commune with God. What God created as perfect, man screwed it up. God is holy, and He is just. If there is sin, then someone must pay for it.

Here's the thing... God did show His love, a much greater love then what He could have shown by just forgiving us. He provided His Son Jesus Christ in order to pay for our sin. This is the equivalent of a man killing someone, and then the victim's father saying, "I not only forgive you, but I am going to give you my son to take your place in the death penalty." What insane person on earth would ever do that? Heck, I would never consider doing that.

But God did. He gave Jesus Christ, His Son, to die for us on the Cross in our place. It is pain unbearable. Jesus cried out to His Father, screaming, "My God, MY GOD! Why have you forsaken me?" In other words, "God, You have ditched me. Where the heck are you at the time I need You the most?" It's the pain where no one can help you.

That is the reason why Good Friday is so important to "those Christians." The pain, agony, and shame of my sin can be wiped away because Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, and Friend, died in my place. What I deserve is death. What I received was grace and mercy... grace to receive what I don't deserve, which is the free gift of eternal life, and mercy to not receive what I really do deserve, which is death and eternal punishment in the fiery pits of hell.

And that's not all... Easter Sunday completes the story! That is coming up in Saturday's post. However, I hope that this "rant" helps you see that what we Christians believe is not a message of hate and restriction, which I think a lot of people see us in that way. A lot of people say, "Being a Christian just has so many rules... don't do this, don't do that." I would say that's wrong... The message of the Good News is love incomprehensible and true freedom. We can't explain why God would do this, but we know that God's nature is to love us. Is He just? Absolutely. Is He love? Even a greater absolutely!

Good Friday is a significant holiday. It contains a very sad overshadow to it, but light of Easter Sunday peeks into this day, for on the third day, He rose again.

May this Good Friday be one where you remember why Christians observe this sacred day. Easter Sunday is just around the corner, and so is the most powerful reason for our salvation... the defeat of death, and the blockade on the path to hell.

~ JO