Before it Was Good Friday

For those unaware, God likes to plan things.

Not being a professional historian, I don’t know the exact day but God does. The day we know as Good Friday, likely is on or very near the day Israel celebrates Passover. I think God planned it that way. You see, passover is a picture, a foretelling of the day Jesus would die. The lamb was an imperfect picture of of Jesus and the blood of the lamb was a symbol of the blood of Jesus. The blood of the lamb protected those who had the faith to put the blood on the door jambs between them and the wrath of God, in the symbol of the death angel.

Just as the innocent lamb had to be killed, Jesus had to be killed. Just as the lamb’s blood had to be shed for the passover, Jesus’ blood had to be shed for all men. As the scripture says, there is no remission of sin without the blood of Jesus. Not only did Jesus die for us but also shed His blood for us.

Some don’t like the Christian religion because of the blood. I hate the shedding of blood, even the lambs. But how much more precious is the blood of Jesus. And when He himself said it was necessary, He knew it was and is absolutely necessary for man’s salvation, like it or not. As the hymn says, there is power in the blood, specifically Jesus’ blood

It was planned, not for a week or a year but at the very creation. Among other things, it is a picture of God’s love for us, collectively and individually. However, it is more than a symbol. Without it, our death would be certain.

But also, it is more than something that had to be done. It is a demonstration of his love.

But God in His infinite power did something never done before. While some were raised from death, Jesus was alone with God at the time. Moreover, when Jesus came out of the grave, it was forevermore. If you had the ability to search every grave, you would not find Jesus there.

Some put little importance on His resurrection, but if He could not come back to life, then His promise for eternal life is empty. I really don’t think God would come up with an incomplete plan.

So it is, He died to pay for our sins. He rose again from the dead so we can. The third part, he left to us. We do not have to have to accept the salvation He paid for. It’s ridiculous to refuse it, but most do, strange as that might seem.

Good Friday is for us. What we call Easter is for us. Our salvation is completely and totally paid for. Yet some will try to arrange their own salvation by being good. There are some who will try to earn their own salvation. Some simply ignore it, not really realizing what they turn their back on.

One thing is certain. We all die. God has provided for us a way

to spend eternity with Him. If we don’t accept it, we will spend eternity without Him, which is far worse than death.

For those unaware, eternity is a long time.