"It is Finished!"

A few months ago we celebrated the Christmas Holiday. Christmas is a joyous time of the year as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus, the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Messiah.

Most of us gathered in our families’ homes and shared a big feast, told stories of past Christmases, opened presents and enjoyed Christmas programs and movies on television. Some of us went to a Christmas service at our churches, where we listened to a sermon about the birth of the Christ Child in the little town of Bethlehem.

The malls and shops across America made quite a bit of money promoting the “gift giving season” as each of us looked for the perfect present for Mom, Dad, Uncle Bob and Aunt Sally.

People who don’t ever darken the doorway of a church spend time celebrating a holiday they know very little about, and really don’t care about, other than the fact it is an excuse to have a party. Everybody likes parties, and Christmas is as good an excuse as any to PARTY!!!!!

Today is a day Christians call “Good Friday”, commemorating the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross of Calvary. There won’t be any presents exchanged on this day, nor will there be any “funny stories” told about past “Good Fridays”. People outside the Christian faith will let this day pass with little notice or regard; it will just be another Friday and nothing more.

What happened on that Friday so many years ago? A man who was regarded as nothing more than a small problem by the Roman government was put to death because some other people wanted to rid themselves of His “interference” in their control of the Hebrew people. It meant little to those people that this man was the Son of God, sent to cleanse the world of sin by offering Himself as a perfect sacrifice.

Most people don’t like the story of the Cross, it isn’t pleasant, it isn’t fun to listen to and it is gruesome in its description. The Son of God is beaten to a bloody mass, He is scourged with a metal braided whip, He has his beard ripped out in clumps and He is marched up to the hill of Calvary and crucified with nails through His hands and feet. A huge crowd stood by as the innocent Savior bled and gasped without complaint until a Roman soldier pierced his side to prove His death. This doesn’t sound like much reason to have a party, does it?

The party actually starts on the following Sunday, Easter Sunday, or as we Christians like to say “ Resurrection Sunday”; the day Jesus rose from the dead and conquered sin, Hell and the grave!!! Now that is a reason to PARTY!

There were no bunnies, eggs, marshmallow peeps, chocolate candy or any parades; as a matter of fact, those people who wanted Him dead did their best to keep the whole thing a secret from the general public. The whole event was dealt with by lies and bribery by those in power.

It appears this son of a carpenter from Nazareth was much more than that; He was the Messiah, sent to us to redeem us from sin, death and the grave. He gave Himself as a perfect sacrifice for all of our sins, if we only accept Him as Lord and Savior. This is what “Good Friday” sets the stage for in God’s plan for our salvation, or as the Bible says in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Enjoy Easter and remember the price paid on “Good Friday”.