“Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.” John 19:16-18
“On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
the emblem of suffering and shame;
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
for a world of lost sinners was slain.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.”
Why do they call this Friday good?
“That terrible Friday has been called Good Friday because it led to the Resurrection of Jesus and his victory over death and sin and the celebration of Easter, the very pinnacle of Christian celebrations,” the Huffington Post reported.
For the people gathered around the cross it did not seem like a “good” Friday. For Mary, the mother of Jesus, it was a day she would never forget. As she saw her son hanging there on the cross, no doubt she remembered the message she had received from the angel before His birth. Luke 1:30-31 “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. The prophecy that Simeon had pronounced in the temple now had become real: “(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:35
For the eleven disciples, it must have seemed like all was over. On this sad day, as their beloved Master and Teacher hung in agony on the cross, they found it hard to believe the promises He had made them to rise from the dead.
Today, we can celebrate it as Good Friday because we know the rest of the story. We will always tie it to Easter Sunday, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. He could not have been resurrected if he had not died first. For us, the Cross is not a symbol of defeat, but a symbol of hope. Jesus Christ loved us enough to take our sins upon Himself and shed His precious blood for our redemption.
What does the cross mean to you? Jesus died to become the Saviour of the world. But each of us must decide to accept His love, repent of our sins, and dedicate our lives to Him.
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for the Cross and for the blood you shed for us, providing forgiveness for our sins and the hope of eternal life.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
