Today being named such as it is, I just wanted to speak briefly about what we usually don’t think about today.

I mean, most people within the Christian Family will hear or attend some sort of "Good Friday" message or service, and will undoubtedly hear about what it is that’s being observed today -- namely, the baseless trial, unjustified scourging and beating, and completely unwarranted crucifixion of Jesus. So why is it that we call today "Good"?

This will (hopefully) also be answered for those who hear such messages today, though perhaps not prefaced with that exact question. Pastors and preachers will be declaring that without the crucifixion, there could be no satisfaction of the law, and without the satisfaction of the law, there can be no forgiveness of sin. Jesus’ sacrificial death was necessary to give us life, and He showed that His sacrifice was accepted by the Father by raising Himself up from the tomb on "the first day of the week".

With both the observation of events and reasons for their importance squared away now, are we missing anything? I can tell you this for certain: it is absolutely common for the "average" genuine Christian today to have heard the previous so many times that it begins to lose it’s impact, so perhaps looking specifically at what exactly it was that really happened that day will remind us of the gravity of the situation.

Jesus -- God "with skin on", as the children appropriately have declared -- who had spent the previous ~33 years of His life on earth keeping Himself sin-free, *voluntarily* chose to be unfairly tried, unjustly beaten (remember, this is *God* we’re talking about, not just "some guy"), ferociously whipped with the Cat O’Nine Tails, nailed to a tree that He Himself created and left to hang there until He died.

But that’s not nearly the worst part of the proceedings...that would come while He was hanging on the cross.

The Son, who had enjoyed perfect, unbroken fellowship with the Father since before the Creation of the universe, now voluntarily had the sins of the entire human race poured on His account, attributed to Him, the true "spotless lamb". As a result the Father, who had to judge sin, had to turn His back on His own Son -- that perfect fellowship broken for the first (and only) time in Eternity -- and Jesus (instinctively) cried out "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

That had to be, hands down, the most terrifying and horrific moment of the entire ordeal.

But Jesus, desiring to reconcile humanity back into fellowship with God, endured the shame of the cross, the pain of the execution, and even the momentary separation of His own fellowship from the Father, because He loves you and I that much. What strong love that must be to endure so much for such a rebellious and sordid bunch of folks as us?

But this is precisely why today is so "Good": because God showed humanity that His love was strong enough to willfully endure and personally suffer so that fellowship could once again be restored between man and God. The bridge, burned long ago by Adam’s choice to ignore God’s simple command, had been rebuilt by the Master Carpenter, never to be destroyed again.

Jesus gave everything so that we could have access once again to the Father, that we would enjoy fellowship with Him again. He endured what was most difficult so that we would have the way to God that was most easy -- "choose life, that you might live". And that is His desire for you today, to choose life.

Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Me", and He has set in front of you two paths: the road you’re already on, heading in whatever direction you’ve been going, and His road, not quite as smooth or easy-going, but heading straight towards the Father’s house. You can choose your own way, or you can choose His way, but do not be deceived: you must choose one or the other.

Choose life. :)

j†