On Good Friday Christians all over the world commemorate the passion and death of Jesus Christ. It is a day of sorrow and repentance for the sins that caused the death of the Lord. Good Friday is a day
of praying, abstaining and fasting. At various services the Church invites Christians to realise more fully the extent of Jesus’ unconditional love for humanity and to understand how much humanity’s sinful ways have led to his suffering and death on the cross.
Scripture tells us that Jesus was tried and found not guilty of the accusations levied at Him, but was ultimately condemned to death by His accusers. After a heartless whipping, He was mocked and spat upon. Then the cross on which He was to be nailed was placed on His back and He went out of the city to what is called the Place of the Skull in Hebrew: Golgotha. There He was crucified with two thieves on either side of Him.
While Jesus hung on the cross He spoke seven times. One thief was repentant and Jesus promised he would be with Him in paradise. After a while Jesus said, “I am thirsty”, and immediately a sponge soaked in vinegar was raised to His lips. Jesus sipped it and said, “It is accomplished”. Then he bowed down His head and gave up the spirit…to fulfil what was written in the scripture.
Jesus experienced intense agony and suffering and died an ignominious death and yet this day is called Good Friday. The day is good because, significantly, it is also a day of gratitude and joy for the overwhelming proof of Christ’s love for humanity. It is a day of hope, looking forward to His resurrection. It is a day when everyone can rejoice and give thanks to God, for it is
the day when we are given the assurance that Jesus is with us always-even in our darkest moments.
Easter
Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the tomb on the third day is the culmination of the agony and death on the cross. The sadness of Good Friday is transformed to the glorious Easter Sunday.
After rising from death, Jesus appeared to his disciples many times. At first, the disciples had to be convinced that it was Jesus who came into their presence, even though He said, “Peace be with you,” and showed them his wounds.
It so happened that days before His first appearance the disciples had gone into hiding. They were afraid that if they were found by the authorities, they would meet the same end as their Master. However, when the living Christ appeared in their midst and they saw His wounds they were transformed.
One of the twelve apostles, Thomas was not with them when Jesus came. So the other apostles told him, “We have seen the Lord,” Thomas had his doubts and proclaimed openly that he would not believe unless he saw the nail marks for himself and put his finger into the wound on His side.
A week later, when all the twelve were together behind locked doors, Jesus came and stood among them and again greeted them with, “Peace be with you.” Then He asked Thomas to see His wounds and put his finger into His side. Thomas stopped doubting and believed saying, “My Lord and my God.”
When something happens that we have not encountered before, that is hard to understand because it is unexpected, we struggle for words. Easter was like that. A once crucified Christ returning to His disheartened disciples was totally unexpected, wonderfully strange, in our world of death and defeat.
Easter stresses the fact that truth cannot be hidden, principles will be upheld and justice will prevail.
FOR MORE https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday