What's so Good about Good Friday?

           

            When I first came to the States after 23 years of living in France and Switzerland, I was surprised that Americans called the day that Jesus died “Good Friday.” I mean, what’s so good about a man suffering an excruciating and horrible death?

            Since the origins of this earth, man has rebelled against his creator. We’ve sinned, then raised our fists to God because life wasn’t what we dreamed of or desired. But why should we merit anything other than total extermination by a just and Holy God? We don’t deserve a single thing! Do ants deserve my love and compassion when they take over my shower (just last night, we discovered a slew of ants crawling around the bottom of the shower. Yuk!)? No. They haven’t any rights, any merits nor any reason for me to spare their little lives.

            But God did. He is a just and a Holy God. He can’t turn a blind eye to sin, because it is contrary to His very nature. But because of His great love for us, He sent His one, His only, precious Son who was sinless, to die on the cross so that Jesus could take upon Himself the very sins for which we deserve to die. It doesn’t stop there. When we confess our sins and admit our need for a Savior, he will take our sins, forgive them then wash us clean. Then we can stand before God, pure as freshly-fallen snow.  

            So what’s so good about Good Friday? It’s good because Jesus died for me. It’s good because all my sins have been forgiven. It’s good because I now have a personal relationship with God. It’s good because Jesus conquered death when He rose from the grave on Easter morning. It’s good because death holds no more power over me. It’s good because I know that when my life is over, here on earth, I will go to live eternally with God in heaven.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever (that means you) believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

            If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior and would like to know more, please feel free to contact me. I would love to speak with you about the most wonderful gift offered to each and every person.

About the author:

I am the daughter of TEAM missionaries (The Evangelical Alliance Mission). I was raised in France, attended French schools, obtained my French Baccalaureate then attended Emmaus Bible College in Switzerland where I graduated with a degree in Bible and Theology.

I now live in the Missouri Ozarks with my husband Len and my three sons, one of whom has been diagnosed with Asperger’s.

I am a member of the Ozarks’ Chapter of American Christian Writers and a founding member of the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild.