Good Friday

Today is Good Friday, the day that our Lord Jesus was crucified. Some people do not

like to read or hear about what Jesus went through, but it is important to remember the suffering

that He went through to save us, and most importantly to bring glory to the Father. You cannot

leave out, or avoid, parts of the Bible you don’t like, as some pastors like to do by only

preaching about heaven and stepping around the problem of sin instead of dealing with it, so we

must remember the pain and abuse that Jesus went through to save our sinful race.

Here is Matthew 27:27-54, which begins right after Jesus has been accused of

guiltiness, and after that was scourged, meaning that He was whipped (the Romans were

known to have stuck sharp pieces of glass and bone in their whips).

“27Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole

company of soldiers around him. 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29and then

twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then

they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30They spit on him, and

took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31After they had mocked him, they took

off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

32As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to

carry the cross. 33They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).

34There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.

35When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36And sitting down, they

kept watch over him there. 37Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS

JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

38Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39Those who passed by

hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple

and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41In

the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42“He saved

others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now fromthe cross, and we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for

he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also

heaped insults on him.

45From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46About three in the

afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”(which means “My God, my

God, why have you forsaken me?”).

47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

48Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff,

and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to

save him.”

50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook,

the rocks split 52and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were

raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and

appeared to many people.

54When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all

that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

Today we solemnly reflect on the suffering and death of Jesus, and think about what the disciples

must have felt, because they did not know that Jesus was going to come back. We look forward to

Resurrection Sunday, when we will celebrate Him, and thank Him for the wonderful gift of salvation He has given us!

-Dale Harder