Why I do not cry on Good Friday!!!

Someone once asked me, "Is Good Friday a sad day?"

Surprisingly, I took a little longer than I should have to reply, "No, it's a happy day!!"

And I am sure that by the time you finish reading this post you will agree with me too.

Jesus Christ, the only begotten, beloved Son of the most High God (Elohim) suffered the most painful, cruel and agonizing form of death known to man. Death on a cross. 

There is a curse in the old testament which says, "...cursed is every man who hangs on a tree." (Deuteronomy 21:23)

King David was instructed to avenge the murder of the Gibeonites by killing those responsible by hanging them on trees (2 Samuel 21). They were cursed by God. Suspended on trees they were neither of the earth nor of the heavens. Rejected....despised......cursed.

The Law (The Ten Commandments) came with blessings (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) for those who could keep it and also with a curse, for those who went astray. The curse of the Law is listed in excruciating detail from verse 14 onwards in the 28th chapter of the book of Deuteronomy. 

So what exactly happened on Good Friday 33AD. 

I call it an "exchange", a "divine exchange" took place. 

The bible says in Galatians 3:13, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone having been hanged on a tree")"

"For He has made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21) 

So believe it or not, all who believe in Jesus are RIGHTEOUS people. Righteous not by their works but by Jesus' work. All the sin, shame and suffering of the world, of the past, the present and the future, were on Jesus on that day at Calvary. The full fire of God's holy wrath fell upon the body of the Messiah.

That agonizing cry of Jesus, "Eloi Eloi!! Lama Sabachthani" (My God, My God! Why have you forsaken me); is an understatement. The only beloved Son of God had to bear that moment of separation from His Father. Jesus was so full of the sin of the world that God could not bear to look at Him, God turned away from His Son......and the fire of His wrath fell on the Man who hung on a tree that day. 

Terrible!! Right? But wait. That is not all. After the full fury of God was exhausted, Jesus was still there and He cried out “It is FINISHED!!!!!” The sins of the entire world, of all generations had been punished on the body of He who knew no sin! The sacrifice was greater that the fire of Judgement. The Law was fully satisfied and God’s wrath was appeased by the perfect sacrifice of His beloved Son. The book of Hebrews says, “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right of God….” (Hebrews 10:12)

So the exchange was that He, Jesus, bore all the sins of mankind and died under the curse of the Law and in doing so made us an heir to ALL of the Blessings of the Law; and because of His perfect sacrifice God CANNOT see sin in us!

And because of His perfect work, a new Covenant was established.

A Covenant of Grace, of righteousness by Faith, of Power, of Love; a Covenant which no man can break because it was not wrought by man, but by God the Father and God the Son, Jesus, the Messiah!! Hallelujah!!!!!

Just look at the terms of this new Covenant!!

The writer of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah 33, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put My Laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” also He adds, "their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 10:16-17)

Notice the double negative in that second verse, “their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more”.  So today when God the Father looks at you He cannot see sin. He sees the righteousness of His Son in you and blesses you with what Jesus deserves. That, beloved, is Grace. The unmerited and undeserved favour of God bestowed on an undeserving world through the perfect work of His beloved Son, Yeshua!!!!

Beloved, today when you accept Jesus as your Lord, your beloved elder brother, you become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) and the Grace of God is made to abound in your life (Romas 5:17). Health, prosperity and favour are released onto you not because of who you are and what you have done, but because of who He is and what He has done.

Beloved, God demands nothing from you except that you come to Him.

Jesus said, “I say to you that likewise joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner who repents, more than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7) and in Matthew 11:28, He says, “Come to Me all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”

The Saviour did not come to make you work to receive the favour of God. He came out to bring you into His rest.

The writer of Hebrews understood the meaning of this rest, he says, “For he who has entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His.  Therefore let us labour to enter into that rest…..” (Hebrews 4:10-11)

Today the only work that we are called to do is to labour to enter into His rest; a point where we are completely dependent on Him. To not be anxious about anything but to bring all our requests before God, a point at which the Holy Spirit meets with the Shalom peace of God and guards our hearts and minds from all doubt and evil. There we are safe and free from all worries, in the arms of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. (paraphrased from Philippians 4:6-8)

Beloved what a merciful God we serve. And that is not enough. Jesus’ work also bestowed on us the Spirit of sonship, by which the Most High God has adopted us as His sons and daughters (Romans 8:26). So not only are you righteous saints of God but you are also His heirs, the heirs to Heaven and the Universe!! God will provide for you (Jehovah Jireh), He is your healing (Jehovah Rapha), He will guide you like a shepherd (Jehovah Rohi), He is your righteousness (Jehovah Tsidkenu),He is your peace (Jehovah Shalom), He is your Daddy (Abba)!! Hallelujah!!!

So you see, beloved, it is impossible to grieve when you have so many reasons to rejoice for what Jesus did when He died for you and I.

Shalom!!