Good Friday?

Good Friday March 30th 2018 South Dunedin Baptist Church

There is human blood, plenty of it, and a body at the centre of our Christian faith.

That's not good! Is it?

Many years ago, a friend asked: “Why do you call it Good Friday?”

“Well, actually, I do not know,” so I said I would find out and get back to him.

Good Friday; for some, a good excuse to sleep in…

Now that you see who is preaching you may well say,

“Well, I wish I still had THAT option!”

But what is Good Friday?

Is it good? And if so, for whom and for what purpose?

It is good for us to attend worship on this day remembering that Jesus Christ died!

So it's a good day then?

Someone said: “I heard that you Christians sometimes do things around the opposite way to the rest of us… But this Easter thing; do you believe that the Ruler of the Universe, your Leader, your King, your Greatest Helper and Hope, the One you claim to be the Saviour of the world, died this day in history, and you say it's a GOOD Day?

Good Friday is a Good Day for three reasons:

a. This was no ordinary man!

b. His was no ordinary death!

c. There was no ordinary outcome!

Yes, it's a good day today because:

a. This was no ordinary man.

So it's a good day for all of us because on this day Jesus Christ completed all His work.

He hung on the cross, true, all bloody and dying, that’s true too... but saying with His final breath:

“IT IS FINISHED!”

Now if He was a failure why would he say that?

All that the Father in heaven had sent Him to do, He accomplished!

That’s what He meant!

That's why Good Friday is a good day!

But what could a man dying long ago and so far away, do for the world?

What does it all mean for us today?

If you look at an old tree, like the oldest trees in the world for example, you may get a glimpse as to how and why Jesus Christ’s death could have universal effects…

“The Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva) is... found in the American West, mostly in Utah, Nevada, and California.

One of these trees has been measured to be 5,065 years old!”

Such living organisms make you wonder. If you and I stood beside it I am sure we would want to get our photograph taken with it.

Also, very old buildings even from before the time of Jesus, such as the Parthenon in Athens or just after Jesus’ life on earth, the Colosseum in Rome, both speak volumes about where our democracy came from and how we all became shaped by their history.

Jesus stands in History a giant among whom all the other great men fade, shrink and die... never to return.

Jesus was no ordinary man, because whatever they did to Him He never sinned...

Oh, he cried out in pain, physically and spiritually, cosmic pain, actually.

The ultimate transaction was fully achieved, sealed in His own blood.

Here was no temporary action nor was it being achieved by a feeble man.

No! Here was a man with a capital M! The Son of Man who gave his life, for your life. The One who gave his blood, instead of yours, bleeding out for your sins.

Just as the year-old lamb was butchered at the Tabernacle on behalf of the family it represented, so Jesus Christ bled and died for each one here who trusts their life to Him. (Lev 12:6)

All those who came under His banner by faith in Him and in Him alone, were reconciled to God, had peace with God the Father. This was no ordinary man!

All who were at the foot of the cross saw something no one had ever seen before.

So unique was the act of His dying that they all stood in awe.

The Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate had a sign put OVER His head saying,

“This is the King of the Jews”

The symbolism of the sign ABOVE HIS head is that it was the earthly authorities’ feeble attempt to define Him.

Those who had power on earth to execute Him, had no idea what they were doing or who they were dealing with.

This crucified man told them,

“My kingdom is not of this world.” All you are able to do is by permission of my Father in heaven.

All who were BENEATH HIM, those at the foot of the cross saw something never seen before.

So exceptional was the act of His dying that many criticised and jeered Him who died there, nailed up above them.

The faithful all stood in awe.