The South proclaims the resurrection in panoramic color. But before spring we endured the dead of winter, and there would be no Easter without Good Friday.

When I was little, I asked my mother why the day Jesus died was called “Good Friday.” I couldn’t understand why the day Jesus suffered crucifixion would be called “good.”

An old BC cartoon by Johnny Hart captured the essence with something like this:“If you were sentenced to die and someone volunteered to take your place, how would you feel?”

“Good.”

That is what Easter is all about. The Scripture says it this way:

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21 NIV).

Let’s break it down.

“God made Him who had no sin”— Jesus, the only blameless person to ever walk the earth, never sinned, not even with one selfish thought.

“To be sin for us”—Jesus became our sin on the cross. He took the punishment our sins deserved.

“So that in Him we might become the righteousness of God”—Those who believe in Him receive His righteousness. We gain right standing before God.

When God looked at Jesus on the cross, He saw your and my sin. Now when He looks at you and me, God sees Christ’s righteousness.

Are you still striving to earn God’s approval? Do you beat yourself up when you mess up? If you tend to do this, review 2 Corinthians 5:21 and ask God to help you understand the Easter message.

Jesus took all of our sins. He won’t come back and die again for the sins you do today. He made us right with God. What could we ever do to improve on that?

Whenever we try to add to what Jesus did to make us more acceptable, we say His death and resurrection were not enough. We stand before God, accepted and loved, on the basis of Christ’s righteousness, not our own. Good deeds we do to make ourselves right are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:30 NIV).

“It is finished.” On the cross, Jesus paid for all our sins—past, present and future. That includes the ones that still taunt you. That is truly “Good!”

Good Friday and Easter are more than historical facts or holy days. They supply hope and power for daily living.

The best way to celebrate Easter is to turn away from any known sin, accept His complete forgiveness, and live every day by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us (Gal. 2:20). Is there someone you know who could benefit from understanding the reason we call the day Jesus died “Good Friday”?

Add your comments here.

Blessings,

Photo by Andrian Valeanu on Unsplash

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