Good Friday | Friday, March 29, 2024

Looking unto Jesus, who endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself. (Hebrews 12)

A day of horror redeemed: how the cross became the world's symbol of hope.

A Symbol Transformed

This last week I ordered something on Amazon—I'm sure none of you ever do that. It's something many of you have had, and maybe you're even wearing right now: a simple little cross necklace. Amazon has every style, color, and size, shipped quickly with Prime. Jesus said, "Take up your cross and follow me." I don't think He meant a cross necklace, but it is remarkable that this object has become the symbol with which billions of people identify themselves as followers of Christ.

It's astonishing that this is what the symbol has come to represent, because two thousand years ago the cross was a symbol of fear, shame, pain, misery, and death. Now you can pick one up for $4.99 and have it shipped to you by tomorrow morning. It is probably the most recognizable trademark of any group in all of human history for the last two thousand years—yet back then it stood for something far different.

What the Cross Once Meant

The Romans did not invent crucifixion, but they certainly perfected it, and they used it frequently in the first century. It was not a symbol people identified with; it struck fear into people's hearts and constantly reminded those under Roman oppression not to rebel against Roman authority.

One scholar—actually a critical scholar against Christianity, but well-versed in first-century history—said crucifixion was about a lot more than pain and punishment; the goal was absolute humiliation. It was thought the most horrible, painful, torturous, and humiliating form of execution possible. It was so heinous that it was reserved for non-citizens of Rome. A Roman citizen could be executed but never crucified. Crucifixion was reserved for those who caused, or might cause, an insurrection against Rome.

Often a person did not die quickly; it could take days. They were left exposed and naked on the cross, and their remains were frequently left to decompose there as a warning to the people: never do anything against Rome, or this will happen to you. And yet today that symbol is worn as jewelry by millions, if not billions. I think only Christ could redeem something so heinous as the cross.

The Passion of Christ

What we remember on Good Friday is often called Christ's passion. That's a difficult word for us, because we usually think of intense romantic desire. But "passion" also means deep suffering, and that is what we mean—the deep suffering Jesus endured.

We must recognize that His passion was not only the agony of the cross, though that was the worst form of execution ever devised. He endured far more. Earlier in the passion week He was betrayed by Judas, one of His closest friends—close enough to be trusted with the money bag. He was forsaken by all of His trusted followers. When Jesus told them they would forsake Him, they all swore they never would; Peter said, "Though I have to die with You, I would never betray You." Yet they all fled, just as the prophets foretold: strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter.

He was rejected by His own people. The same crowds who on Palm Sunday cried "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord," proclaiming Him King and laying palm branches before Him, would days later reject Him. They chose a known criminal to release instead of Him, and though they knew He was innocent, they cried, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!"

The Suffering Before the Cross

His passion included being lied about, the injustice of a sham trial and political prosecution, being misunderstood and misrepresented, mocked, beaten, tortured, shamed, and embarrassed—and all of that came before the actual crucifixion, before He carried His cross to Golgotha, the place of the skull.

He was spat upon. He was whipped with a scourge designed to rip flesh from the body, receiving thirty-nine lashes, so that it is very likely his entire back was exposed down to the bone of his ribs. Roman soldiers covered His face so He couldn't see the blows, punching Him and mocking, "Prophesy! Who hit You?" He was crowned with thorns, stripped naked, forced to carry His cross, and crucified naked—the Romans' way of publicly shaming the condemned—before His weeping mother.

I don't think we can comprehend the passion of Christ. Many of you remember the film The Passion of the Christ. A number of us from the church went to see it together in the biggest theater in Escondido, and it was completely silent the entire time except for weeping. Is there any suffering greater than what Jesus endured?

Behold the Man

The author of Hebrews wants us to behold Christ—which is exactly what Pontius Pilate said after the beating, when he stood Jesus before the people: "Ecce homo," behold the man. In Hebrews 12 we read:

Looking unto Jesus, who endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself.

Earlier, in Hebrews 4, the author writes:

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

That word "tempted" is better translated tried or tested. In all points Jesus was tested, yet without sin. So when we feel rejected, misunderstood, shamed, lied about, mocked, or betrayed, we can look to Jesus, who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself—far more than we could ever imagine.

Wounded for Our Transgressions

Just as the prophet Isaiah predicted in Isaiah 53:

He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief... Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray... and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all... He was led as a lamb to the slaughter.

Why this suffering? Why endure the shame of the cross, the mocking, the beating, the betrayal, the forsaking? Again Hebrews answers: because we have a High Priest who can sympathize with our weakness, tested as we are yet without sin. Therefore, let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.

Why "Good" Friday?

It's a valid question: how can we call this Good Friday when we hear of all the mocking, torture, and beating—probably the worst event in all of human history? Obviously the things that happened in Jesus's suffering were not good. But the door that is opened through what He accomplished—that is good.

From the earliest days of the church they confessed, "He died for our sins according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15). That is the good news of the gospel. On the cross it was not only the physical things He endured; there was a spiritual reality happening in the unseen realm we cannot fully comprehend. As Isaiah says, the punishment for our peace—so that we could have peace with God—was upon Him. He bears our guilt and shame, and through His death He opens the way for us to come boldly before the throne of grace. That is a big part of why we call this Good Friday: the way is now open.

Friday, But Sunday Is Coming

Of course, Good Friday is not the end of the story. As was said in a famous message, "It's Friday, but Sunday's coming." That is what we rejoice in. But the shame, pain, and horror of Good Friday were necessary so that the Lamb of God could take away the sin of the world. Good Friday was always the purpose—it didn't happen to Jesus; Jesus came to make it happen, to deal with sin, death, and suffering.

Pastor Mark and I were on the questions podcast yesterday, and one question concerned suffering—why is there suffering, and why doesn't God keep us from it? The Bible answers this in the opening pages of Scripture: suffering comes as a result of sin, and sin brings death, and death brings all the brokenness we see. But the Bible also tells us that at His first coming Jesus came to deal with sin at the cross, and ultimately He will come again to resolve the issue of suffering. In His eternal Kingdom there will be no more tears, no more death, no pain, no sorrow.

We look forward to that in hope today because of the cross. That which caused fear in the hearts of every person two thousand years ago is now worn by billions of Christians around the world as a reminder of our salvation and the hope we have. That's gospel. That's good news. That's why it's Good Friday. Amen.

Closing Prayer

Father God, I thank You for the message of this horrific day. Jesus, we thank You that You who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might receive Your righteousness. We who were once far from You, who were in darkness, You came to reconcile us back into a right relationship and fellowship with Yourself. By the cross You brought us out of darkness into Your marvelous light. By the cross You made it possible for us to stand in hope of the glory of God and rejoice in You.

I pray that we would not only be reminded of it today, but that we would share it with others, for so many people are in desperate need of Your grace, and the way has been opened to Your throne of grace to obtain mercy and grace in our time of need. There is not one of us here who does not need it constantly, and there will never be a time when we come to You and there is not enough. We thank You for Your grace and for Your sacrifice. We rejoice in You and worship You for what You accomplished on our behalf—what we could never do for ourselves, You accomplished and declared on the cross: "It is finished." We thank You and praise You. It's in Your name we pray, amen.