Pastor Jack Freed today posted this quote in his blog, Jack’s Winning Words.
“Yeah, it’s Good Friday, but Easter Sunday is coming!” (Unknown)
Jack when on to write about the Bad News, Good News aspect that many see in the events of Holy week – the crucifixion(bad news) and the resurrection of Christ (good news).
In reality, it was all good news, because the prophets had foretold the life and death of Jesus. Over and over again in his ministry Jesus referred to the events that he was a living as being part of what had been written about by Jewish prophets. He knew what the end would be and, though he asked God to take the cup of death from him in his prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane, he accepted that he must die on the cross to complete the fulfillment of the prophesies
Matthew 26 – 42 “He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.”
So the good news in Good Friday is that the prophesies from the Old Testament had been fulfilled and the Messiah had died for the forgiveness of our sins, as had been foretold.
The even better news occurred on the third day, when he defeated death and rose from the dead, thus assuring us of everlasting life through Him. Easter celebrates the fulfillment of the final prophesy that the Messiah would rise from the dead on the third day after his death.
Most Christians tend to observe Maundy Thursday and Good Friday as serious and somber days within the Holy Week. They focus on the pain and suffering that Jesus went through; when, in reality, they should be seen as joyous occasions.
We were given the new commandment to, “love one another as I have loved you”, and taught how to celebrate communion with God on Maudy Thursday. Then Christ died to forgive our sins on Good Friday. Now we await his rising from the dead on Easter to demonstrate to us the eternal life that is ahead. There is no bad news in any of that for us.
Let us joyously celebrate the entire Holy Week.
It’s all good news.
NormsMilfordBlog 