Good Friday...What's so good about it?

Today is Good Friday.

I remember a guy from the first church I was a member of.  I remember him saying that about Good Friday, "What's so good about it?"  I thought he was making a joke, and I was really pretty new to the whole church thing, so I thought, "Maybe it's an inside joke, I'll get it later..."

That was around 17 years ago, I am still not sure what he meant by his question, but I am glad he asked it...because every Good Friday I ask myself the question..."What's so good about it?"

I think we must go back to the beginning to find the answer to that.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Genesis 1:1

Time Magazine Quote: from Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon:

 "I remember on the trip home on Apollo 11 it suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small." 

Judging by Psalm 8, King David felt the same way....

"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?"

Have you ever been lying on your back on a perfect summer night, looking at the stars?  When we lived in Texas we would occasionally (& spontaneously) load up the kids and throw the air mattresses into the back of the truck and drive out until there was no light pollution.  We would all lay on our backs looking up at the stars.  We could see so many...so far...it was just amazing. I can remember talking with our kids about how God just spoke all of it into existence.(Genesis 1:14) We were all just so in awe with how mighty and powerful He is. 

He.Spake.The.Stars.And.Planets.Into.Existence.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:1-3 

The Word is another name for the Son of God, Jesus. It was Jesus who made all things, nothing was made without him!

 My friends Jake and Hali moved from Hawaii to help us with our church, they have been blessed to see some of the most beautiful things on earth there.  

Jesus made this----->

Jesus also made this.

I know I am not alone when I say, "I love a field of wildflowers..." And why are they so beautiful? God could have made them ugly and stinky, but he didn't. 

In Texas we had the privilege of seeing the bluebonnets paint the landscape every spring. My boys. (Jesus made them too) Weren't they sweet?

We have friends who live in Alaska and Colorado, and are never bored with what God has created there.
Other friends showed us pictures like this they had taken in the Canadian Rockies, yes, Jesus made those too!

So, this same Jesus that the Bible says "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."  Willingly left his throne in Heaven for this...

And this--->

And this is when while they knelt at the foot of the cross casting lots for his clothes as souvenirs, He said... "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

And he had never ever sinned, he did not deserve any punishment! They should have been on their faces worshiping him!  He could have made it happen. He could have stopped it at any moment!  But he willing laid down his life for us the sinners. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21

He did this for us because He loves us.  He did not deserve this. We deserve this, I deserve this.  He loves me, therefore He died for me...and you.


"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

This same Jesus who knows the thoughts and intents of my heart.

This same Jesus who made the lame to walk and the blind to see.  

This same Jesus who has power over the Devil, and will one

day throw him into Hell for all eternity.  

  

This same Jesus, who spoke worlds and 

universes and galaxies into being.

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and

men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for 

all, to be testified in due time." 1 Timothy 2:5-6

The same Jesus holds every atom together, by his will...Colossians 1:17 says,

"And he is before all things, and by him all things consist."

Here is an image depicting that same Jesus on the cross over 2000 years ago, a day we call Good Friday.

Here is a photo taken of the Nucleus of the Whirlpool Galaxy.

So...what's so good about Good Friday? 

That same Jesus.

Amazing Love! 

How can it be that thou my God should die for me?