Good Friday?

EASTER FOR ALL AGES

GOOD FRIDAY?

By Bob Allen

A Reading for Four Voices from the Synoptic Gospels

1                      2                      3                      4

VOICE THREE:        What is so “good” about Good Friday?

VOICE FOUR:          Doesn’t it seem just a little strange to expect the entire world to                                          pause once every year to commemorate a Man’s death?

VOICE ONE:             On Good Friday, a corrupt king, the pawn of an oppressive army                                        of occupation, passed an unjust sentence on an innocent man.

VOICE TWO:                        On Good Friday, an easily swayed populace called for the                                                   crucifixion of a man they had welcomed with hosannas earlier in                                         the week.

VOICE THREE:        On Good Friday, an angry mob cursed and ridiculed a helpless                                            man as He struggled to carry His own cross through the streets of                                               Jerusalem.

VOICE FOUR:          On Good Friday, Roman soldiers sneered and jeered as they                                               mocked Him with a crown of thorns and a purple robe.

VOICE ONE:             On Good Friday, the bruised and broken body of the Son of God                                       was impaled on a rough-hewn cross.

VOICE TWO:                        The Bible never minimizes the events of that Friday.  It describes                                        them in all their vivid detail.  This was a literal, violent, bloody                                            death.

VOICE THREE:        Blood flowed when the soldier pierced his side.

VOICE FOUR:          The Roman centurion in charge officially certified his death to                                            Pilate.

VOICE ONE:             Jesus was embalmed and placed in a borrowed tomb.

VOICE TWO:                        There is no way to escape from the stark, ungarnished truth that the                                    church around the world commemorates a death.  Celebrates a                                            death.  Rejoices in a death.  And calls the date of that death—Good                             Friday.

VOICE THREE:        For three hours Christ had suffered in silence on the cross.  At                                             noon, darkness had settled over the entire land, as if nature herself                                      sought to shield in some small way the Son of God from                                                            those who mocked and reviled Him.  For three hours He was                                         afflicted, yet he opened not His mouth.  For three hours He bore                                         the pain of the cruel thorns and nails, the excruciating pain of                                              crucifixion.

VOICE FOUR:          But it was the pain that caused Him to break His silence.  He had                                        known before the world began that He would bear our sins in His                                       body on the tree.

VOICE ONE:             Christ had never known a time when He was not One with the                                            Father.  From eternity past the relationship within the Trinity had                                        been one of absolute and complete union.  At no time had their                                       perfect communion ever been broken.  Until now.  As the                                                      millstone of sin was hung around the neck of our Savior, He was                                          separated from the One He loved with a perfect love.  As the                                              darkness lifted from the earth, it settled on Him, and He cried in                                         the anguish of despair, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken                                    me?”

VOICE TWO:                        And the answer came back, echoing from the halls of eternity and                                       resounding on every page of the sacred writings, “To make you the                                     Hope of a sin-cursed world.”  And Christ was satisfied.

VOICE THREE:        What is so “good” about Good Friday?

VOICE FOUR:          The answer lies in the first Easter message ever heard by men.

VOICE ONE:             Very early on Sunday morning, three days after the Friday events,                                      an angel appeared to three women with that very first Easter                                        message.

VOICE TWO:                        (STAND)  He is risen!

VOICE THREE:        He!

VOICE FOUR:          This was a very personal triumph for Jesus Christ.  He is the reason                                     we celebrate.  He is the focus of Easter—not the cross or the tomb                                            or the lilies or the advent of spring.  Christ is the One who puts the                                          “good” into Good Friday.  None of the events of that day brought                                             hope or joy to anyone until they saw the risen Christ. 

VOICE ONE:             He is—

VOICE TWO:                        The triumph over death had already taken place.  It was a                                                    completed action and the results would continue on throughout                                           eternity.  Christ had conquered death in every possible way.  His                                           bodily resurrection showed His victory over physical death.  His                                             resurrection in holiness demonstrated His victory over sin.  It                                                 showed that death as a result of sin did not have an eternal claim                                        upon the soul.  His resurrection demonstrated the unlimited power                                      of God who holds the keys of hell and death.  Good Friday became                              “good” because Easter transformed defeat into victory.

VOICE  THREE:       (STAND)  He is risen!

VOICE FOUR:          This was a unique triumph for Jesus, the Son of God. Other men                                         had been resurrected, but only to die again.  He rose triumphant                                                 over death, and sin, and hell, and the grave.  It was a complete                                               vindication of His entire teaching and all of His claims to be one                                              with God.  Without the resurrection, the gospels would simply                                            record the life of a good man who was willing to die for what He                                       believed.  “He is risen” changed all of that.  He had promised to                                          rise on the third day—and in keeping that humanly impossible                                               promise He assured us that we can trust every other promise He                                               has made as well.

VOICE ONE:             (STAND)  We can trust Him when He says, “because I live, you                                         shall live also.”

VOICE TWO:                        We can trust Him when He says, “I will come again and receive                                          you unto Myself.”

VOICE THREE:        We can trust Him when He says, “He that cometh to Me I will in                                        no wise cast out.”

VOICE FOUR:          (STAND)  We can trust Him when He says, “Believe on the Lord                                       Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”

VOICE ONE:             What’s so “good” about Good Friday?

VOICE TWO:                        Without Good Friday we would never have known Easter Sunday.

VOICE THREE:        Without death we would not have resurrection.

VOICE FOUR:          Without the cross we would not have the empty tomb.

VOICE ONE:             Without the sacrifice on Mount Calvary we would not have the                                           ascension from the Mount of Olives.

VOICE TWO:                        Yes, it is strange to celebrate death—until we realize that His death                                    made possible our life—eternal life.  It was a “good” Friday, after                                       all.