It all goes back to the Garden of Eden. The story is found in the Book of Genesis. God created Adam and Eve and gave them simple instructions which they ultimately disobeyed. God had warned them that their disobedience would result in death. They chose to listen to the lies of the serpent rather than the clear, single command of God. The result was their banishment from the Garden, eventual physical death, and separation from God. However, God promised that He would provide a way of reconciliation for them.
Since
all of us descend from Adam and Eve, the same curse is upon us. We are
born, we live for a certain number of years, and then we die. And
without God's intervention we would be eternally separated from him in a
place of torment, suffering, outer darkness, fire and brimstone.
Only
God is perfectly good. We are all born as sinners. Some people will
readily admit to being sinners but others believe we are basically good.
The problem is that we have the wrong standard. We think we're good
because we're not as bad as others who may be drunks, murderers, rapists
or thieves. But God is the one who sets the standard and His standard
is nothing short of perfect righteousness.
"For
everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet
God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did
this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our
sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made
right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life,
shedding his blood." Romans 3:23-25
I don't understand why
God loves us so much, but I'm just glad that He does. Because of His
great love for us, He provided a way to be reconciled to Him and escape
eternal punishment. If you will accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and
allow Him to have control of your life, you will become righteous in
the eyes of God and receive His free gift of eternal life. No strings
attached.
"When
we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died
for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an
upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a
person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by
sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." Romans 5:6-8
I'm
reading through the gospels as we approach Resurrection Day. It's good
to be reminded of the price that Jesus paid to redeem us from the
penalty of our sin. Today the cross is glamorized as jewelry or clothing
adornments but crucifixion was the most brutal form of execution ever
devised by man. But God decided that this would be the method by which
Jesus would willingly give up His life.
"Pilate
had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers wove a crown of
thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him.
“Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the
face." "...So they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by himself, he
went to the place called Place of the Skull. There they nailed him to
the cross." John 19:1-3, 17
So, what is so "good" about Good
Friday? Jesus was beaten, battered, bruised and bloodied beyond
recognition and He suffered the ignominious death on the cross, but it
was "good" for us because He became the sinless substitute on our
behalf. God poured out His just and holy wrath on His own Son, whom He
had made to become the very embodiment of sin. Jesus paid the penalty of
sin for all of us. All you need to do is believe this and receive Jesus Christ
by faith as your Lord and Savior. Turn from the way you now live, and
give Jesus control of your life. Good Friday can be "good" for you when
you choose to become a follower of Jesus Christ.
"For
God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so
that we could be made right with God through Christ." 2 Corinthians 5:21
