Tim Johnson
For those of us in the Christian Faith we call the Friday before Easter, “Good Friday.”
This is a day for all of us to take a somber look at Jesus’s death on the cross and what it really means for each of us.
Jesus was delivered over to death for our sins and raised back to life for our justification (Romans 4:25). John 3:16-21, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
Everyone who commits their life to Christ can say that they are not guilty before God the Father because of the sacrifice Jesus made for them. Some people may say that “I’m not that bad”, or “I’m not as bad as some others.”
This is nothing but a copout. Think of what would happen if our thoughts of the last hour were published for all to see. Most of us would run and hide out of embarrassment. Jesus died for our sins; past, present, and future. We are all sinners. We are free from the sting of death. The person who does not know what they are facing when they leave this life on earth will be a miserable person.
When we were young most of us thought we were indestructible, but as we age, we know and feel our bodies failing. But as Christians we know we are destined for something else that will last for eternity. This is the beauty of the “Cross,”,everlasting life through Christ. To be with our Father and our brothers and sisters.
Stop for a while today (I do every day) and think of what you were and where you would be without Jesus Christ in your life. This should sober us all up so we can declare our thanksgiving to Jesus for all He has done in our lives. When you take a good long look at “Good Friday” in this way, you can truly say, “I’m going to have a Good Friday”.
Go out and have a great day because He has given you that wonderful privilege to take advantage of all the great things that the earthly world has to offer.
Tim Johnson is a pastor at Valley Christian Fellowship
