GOOD FRIDAY

What could possibly be good about a day that someone who did nothing wrong was killed gruesomely?

History tells of a man who lived practically sinless and guiltless in His time. He went by as a commoner and a SOMEBODY who was a NOBODY. His wisdom was matchless and so offensive that the great leaders and teachers and custodians of truth, liberty and justice were made fools and appeared to be illiterates of the literacy they professed to have upheld. For this he was Public Enemy number 1.

His claims of Deity didn't go down well with the elite of his time. No one could be God in the flesh and be so Damn broke, sleeping wherever night met him; eating with commoners and sinners, associating with NOBODY(S) and claim to be different from them and to make matters worse making Himself SOMEBODY equal with God for He said, "I and my Father are one". For this he was Enemy of the state.

His simplicity upset the order of life and stained the proud, making them look like the commoners they said he was. His words cut their heart that the ground beneath became like water and they did sink in shame at how ignorant they were of their own laws. A simpleton? Who could have taught him these things? His father is a broke carpenter and his mother? Who is she amongst women? We know his brothers and sisters they're amongst us, a set of NOBODIES! For this he was taken for granted.

In the realm of the supernatural, He called forth things that be not as though they were. How could a mere man make his spittle mixed with clay, rubbed on the eyes of a blind man, make him see? How dare He tell another to pick up his bed and go home, he had no sin? Who on earth would take sides with an adulteress and say, where are they that condemn you? Neither do I, go and sin no more? What gives Him the audacity to say to a dead man in the tomb four whole days, "Lazarus come forth!" and the dead man walked out of the tomb like he was taken a nap? People possessed with demons will look at him and convulse and leave their victims violently. At some point a legion asked Him to send them into a swine and they drowned. I mean who does that? How can someone be sleeping in the midst of a tempest as though he were on a cruise liner only to be woken up by men scared to death and say, "peace be still" and immediately the storm ceased? Somebody tell me he can't be for real. He even walked on the sea! He did many more things that weren't normal. For this He was called Belzeebub's prodigy.

He was before man and was the maker of man, made man to redeem man. His purpose was clearly defined. Sold out by his own, He was meted out the most unjust and unfair of trials ever. He once said, "by your words are you justified or condemned". His words - though true, were used against Him. He was mocked and scorned. Standing before Pilate, He made no utterance to which it would be that He might intend to defend Himself. Rather He said, "you say that I am". Having found no fault in Him, Pilate in order to be the boss said, "do you know I have the power to release you"? To this the Accused replied, "you have no power in this case". He was declared not guilty by Pilate. Yet the people refuse the verdict. Their stand point was, he said He's God's Son and He's not in support of the Ceasar administration for He said His kingdom is not of this world. For this, He was worth killing.

Whipped without mercy by fierce and well trained Roman soldiers, His flesh peeled at the withdrawal of the whip from his skin. He took 40 lashes all over his body. His head was crowned with thorns. His bruises were innumerable. He was slapped. His beards pulled. He was treated like a criminal. He was laddened with a cross 5 times his body weight. He had to carry it for miles to the place of skull. The same people who welcomed him with sheaves and palms not too long ago were the same people who made Him walk the walk of shame. Nailed on the cross hanging on a tree in between two criminals, He was numbered among transgressors. For this, his Father forsook Him.

A guiltless man. A sinless man. A man of peace. A man who brought joy. A man who took on Himself to feed 5,000 men asides women and children. Raised their dead. Healed their sick. Opened the eyes of their blind. Made the lame to walk. Was their friend and gave them hope. Revealed truth to them and assured them of a better place. For these he should have been shown mercy but his fate was sealed.

Hanging there for six hours, He asked for water but got soured wine. They cast lot on his garment. They asked him to get down the cross. They made His stay on the cross more painful. To add more to it, the condemned men on both His sides made mockery of Him. What other way to feel dejected than this. When the hurly burly was done, one criminal said, "remember me in your kingdom", without the slightest disagreement, to this he would have said, "go to hell!" but with love He overcame the hate and said, "Today you shall be with me in paradise". For this He should have been let go.

One last look at His mother and John, he said, "Woman behold thy son, son behold thy mother". Right there and then He dislodged His earthly nature. He was ready to end it all. He once told them, "I lay down my life that I might take it up later; that you may know that the son of man has power to do it". In that final breath looking at all that He had accomplished, He said, "It is finished!" He gave up the ghost. The earth shook. The cloud were darkened. The veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom. The ashes on the altar dispersed. Tombs opened and the heavens and the earth mourned. The Sun of Righteousness that rose with healing in its wings had come to set. He died too soon so the soldiers needed to confirm He was dead so they pierced his side. Water and Blood spilled out ceaselessly. Water for washing, Blood for cleansing. For this the perfect sacrifice was done and atonement for man was made...

Even his tomb was borrowed. One who had no security guards while alive had soldiers surrounding His lifeless body sealed in a stone cold tomb with the intent that His disciples do not come and take away His body for He said He would rise again after 3 days. It was over! The end of an era. In less than 4 years He had done what no man or angels could do for all time once and for all! In the realm of the Spirit, the devil had won. No more casting out of his demons. No more deliverance of his oppressed. Things can go back to normal. For this, all faith in Him was lost.

The End!

What's Good about this Friday?