For some, this may have been a challenging week; for others, a time of reflection and maybe even a time of religious celebrations and traditions. To fully understand this week, we need to look at the scriptures and what God’s Word says about it.
If we start at the beginning, we will learn that Jesus was born to die. I can almost hear Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music singing, “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.” In order to start at the beginning, we need to look at Genesis 1. This book begins with the history of creation. Genesis 1:26-28 tells us that God created man in His own image, told them to be fruitful and multiply, blessed them, and gave them dominion over the earth. The word “dominion” means total control, complete authority, power, and leadership. God gave man (Adam and Eve) the power and authority to rule over the earth; however, man lost this power and authority when he sinned in the garden and gave it over to Satan.
The only way to take back the kingdom on earth was for Jesus to be born in the flesh. Jesus was born as a man who was fully God and fully man. The human side of Him went to the cross for our sins which also included healing. When Jesus died and was buried, He descended into hell to defeat the enemy and take back the power and authority over the earth.
When I was young, I didn’t fully understand why Good Friday was called “good” and a day to celebrate. To me, it was sad that Jesus died. I thought why would we call the death of Jesus good? Jesus died so we could live the abundant life He came to give us. Through Jesus’ death on the cross, we now have an unbroken fellowship with our Father; it means we can experience the Kingdom of God here on Earth. It also means we are born again and are no longer under the power of Satan. Let’s not forget that because of the stripes He took on His back, we are healed! Everything that mankind lost because of Adam’s and Eve’s sin has been restored back to us because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
That first Good Friday when Jesus went to the cross, His final words were, “It is finished.” John’s Gospel is the only book that captures what Jesus said. The other Gospels say that Jesus cried out in a loud voice. The Greek word for “it is finished” is tetelestai and is an accounting term that means “paid in full.” As Jesus said those powerful words, He was declaring that He was paying in full the debt of the world. What debt? The debt of our sins and that God would no longer count man’s sins against them. This is not only “good” news it is great news!
As we remember Good Friday, we know that Jesus, the Lamb of God, finished the work on the cross forgiving the world of all iniquities (sin) and healing all diseases. When something is finished and/or paid in full, there is nothing left for any of us to do. If you are struggling with any disease or sickness, read and meditate on Isaiah 53 and see Jesus and what He did more than 2,000 years ago so we could live free from bondage and sickness. He came to live and die to set the world free from sickness as well as experience everlasting life in knowing God the Father. Sin was like a roadblock to accessing God. On the cross, Jesus removed that roadblock so we can now experience a relationship and intimacy with God. The stripes on Jesus’ back that He received prior to hanging on the cross paid for our sickness, pain, and disabilities.
During this Holy weekend, set your eyes on Jesus and the truth about Good Friday and Easter. We don’t have to be in a physical church building to celebrate and worship the life of Jesus and what He did for us more than 2,000 years ago! (Matthew 27 and 28; Mark 15 and 16; Luke 23 and 24; John 18 – 21)
~Donna Jones