Is There Really Anything Good About Good Friday?

Amid threats of nuclear war and so much unrest, is there really any good news? Listen to a song of the epic story & read the article.

All things concering the song Where is the Lamb are located here.

It is an epic and yet chilling story. To be honest, I don’t really like it at face value. It kind of seems to be about human sacrifice and how could that be?

It is a painful and tragic story from Genesis 22 where Abraham is instructed by God to take his only son Issac to a certain mountain and sacrifice him there on an altar. Although Abraham sets off on this journey, he has faith in God to somehow provide. You can read the story for yourself, but essentially, Issac notices something is wrong and starts wondering where the ram is that will be sacrificed. Abraham replies that God will provide and when it is all over, that is exactly what happens. A ram was caught in a nearby thicket and Abraham is instructed to sacrifice this ram instead, of his son.

This story was written long before the time of Jesus, but it is pretty easy to see that this was about things to come.

Now there was a time when I didn’t get this at all. I mean, what was God’s plan all along? Did He somehow force Jesus to die?

Not at all, and this is why this whole thing is so beautiful.

Jesus told us that no one would, or even could take his life from him, but he did say that no greater love is there than this, than to lay your life down for your friends. (John 15:13)

That is what He did. He willingly laid His life down for his friends, and ultimately, that wasn’t just for a rag-tag group of disciples, the Hebrew nation, Christians or any other tribe or nation. No, it was far bigger than that. It was for everyone! For every nation, every tribe, every tongue (Zechariah 14, Revelation 15) and it was for you, and it was for me.

Yes, it was Roman Soldiers who carried out the deed, but in the same way it was for us, it was also by us.

I don’t think I have to convince you that we have made quite a mess of things here on this earth. What have we learned? Right now, there are wars going on between nations and tribes that have gone on for hundreds and even thousands of years and they are not likely to stop tomorrow.

We really do need a savior.

Many people from several world religions believe that Jesus was a good man and a prophet.

Most historians will tell you that there really was a man named Jesus of Nazareth.

He told us that he was sent by God, not to set the political world of the day straight, but rather He spoke of the Kingdom of God that can be within us and has nothing to do with religion or politics but has everything to do with the condition of the heart.

Jesus extends the opportunity to us all to know and commune with our creator.

So, this Friday that we call good is not at all about human sacrifice – but rather it was to put an end, once and for all, to any attempts by mankind to put things right ourselves – because we have proven time and time again that we just can’t do it.

But He can!

God is in the business of changing hearts of stone to flesh.

Many times, in scripture, Jesus is referred to as “the Lamb of God”.

As our song says in closing:

There has been a sacrifice
God’s only Son laid down his life
He poured His love on souls of men
He is the Lamb
Jesus is the Lamb

He truly did provide!!

So, Good Friday isn’t just Good.

Maybe Epic would be a better word?