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Good Friday it is without a doubt the darkest day in the history of mankind. It was the day that the only begotten Son of God laid down his precious life to atone for the sins of mankind. Although there are other celebrations such as Christmas on the calendar of many Christians, the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ should be perhaps the most important activity for all Christians.
This is so because it marked the transition of the human race from our ancestors to the new dispensation that is Christianity. Indeed, Christianity did not even exist when Christ was on earth. It was after the shameful death and subsequent resurrection that she gave birth Christendom. The way he was killed must be relived to properly appreciate the sacrifices made by Christ.
Today, we execute criminals by a variety of means: lethal or gas injection, electrocution, firing squad, and hanging. Many have been executed by these means and most of us shudder at the horror, shame and pain that this entails. This highlights the “Black Lives Matter” protests that swept across the United States and other countries after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020. It has been described as the largest protest in long history of the country of mass movements by civil society. rights and racial justice. But the death of Christ had far-reaching consequences for humanity.
The fact is, the ordeals that George Floyd and many others went through pale into insignificance in comparison to the shameful murder of Jesus Christ. He died the death of criminals and incorrigibles for the good of humanity. Crucifixion It was embarrassing not only as a penalty, but the process itself was unthinkable. It was pure torture and excruciatingly painful. It was considered a curse to die on the cross and the Bible gives credence to this in Galatians 3:13. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, becoming a curse for us, because it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree
But for the activities of ISIS and other terrorist organizations, only a few people are crucified today. The crucifixion was a well-orchestrated death sentence to produce a slow death with maximum intense pain. Prior to this, Jesus had to go through verbal, emotional, and physical abuse from the very people He came to save. He was blindfolded and, as he could not anticipate beatings, slaps and torture, he was badly bruised.
The Son of God had to go through serious emotional and psychological trauma due to false accusations. His disciples denied it and fled when he needed them most. In his trial moments, Peter denied it three times and, strangely, the third time he did so with an oath. Yes, the same man to whom he had given the keys to his kingdom in Matthew 16: 18-19. “And I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. “
The innocent Jesus was stripped of his clothes with his hands tied and then severely beaten with the scourge. The scourge was designed to do devastating punishment, bringing him closer to death. The small metal balls on it first produce large, deep bruises that open with new blows. At the flagellation of Jesus, the heavy leather straps produced superficial cuts and then deeper damage to the underlying tissues. Other accounts say that he was on the brink of collapse when he was cut off the whipping post.
The true horror of the crucifixion began when he was finally nailed to the cross. When the wrists were nailed to the crossbar, it is believed that the elbows were strategically left in a bent position so that the arms hung above the head. By this time, the pain had become unbearable. He hung on the cross with the weight of the sin of the world on His shoulders. He struggled for breath with every breath he took. They gave Him vinegar just to wet His parched throat. When he got the drink he said his last words Tetelestai (It’s Finished) and died. John 19: 28-30 says: “After this, Jesus, knowing that everything was already fulfilled, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, said:“ I am thirsty! ”. Now there was there a vessel full of sour wine; and they filled a sponge with vinegar, put it on a hyssop, and put it in their mouths. Then, when Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished!” And bowing his head, he surrendered his spirit. It was the last shout of victory of the savior. When Jesus said “It is finished,” He didn’t just mean that His life on earth was over. He was also declaring that all our sins had been washed away by His blood.
Although Jesus died one of the most terrible, gruesome, and painful deaths in history, He paid the price for our freedom and redemption. We all have an overwhelming debt of sin to God, and the penalty is death. But the good news is that you paid full price for You. Your freedom was bought by the precious blood of Christ. Not only did he make a down payment, he paid in full. Jesus fulfilled his purpose on earth on the cross of Calvary and left nothing undone. Some of us forget that it’s finished. We live in a shadow of sin and guilt, constantly thinking that our sins are too great to be forgiven. We forget that Christ paid it all.
The devil tries to tell us that our sins are too difficult to forgive; convincing us that we are inadequate and unworthy to be in His presence. We believe the lies of satan and live in our transgressions forgetting that there is no sin too great or too small for the blood to cover. He declares you debt free once you accept him as your Lord and personal savior, thanks to the ultimate sacrifice on the cross.
As the world commemorates the death of Christ, don’t let the sacrifice be in vain. The blood still speaks, so take a few minutes to reflect on what Christ had to go through to pay the full price. Tetelestai!
