Easter Devotion: Good Friday

By Blake Whitaker

Intern

Read Luke 23:1-49.

Good Friday is an important day in the Christian world. It’s the day we remember Jesus’ crucifixion and the sacrifice he made for humanity when he took on all our sins. As we have gone through this week, it is important to take time, look, and reflect on what that sacrifice means to us as followers of Christ and how we can keep our hearts fixed on Jesus.

Have you ever imagined what it was like for Jesus to be accused by the crowd? Jesus came to this world and lived a perfect life. He did everything right when faced with trials and tribulations. Jesus was mocked, beaten, and put to death because the crowd did not believe He was the Son of God. Why would all this happen to Jesus when He had performed miracles no mere man could do? When He had shown the people He was truly who He said He was?

Pilate pleaded with people saying he found no guilt in Jesus. That did not appease the crowd. Again he told them he did not find guilt in Jesus, and still the crowd was not happy. For a third time, Pilate pleaded with the crowd, and they still would not settle. To keep the crowd from causing an insurrection, Pilate released Barabbas, a notorious criminal and murderer, and arrested Jesus, an innocent man.

Jesus carried His cross on which He was to be crucified. They reached “The Skull,” the place where they are going to crucify Jesus along with two other criminals. The Roman soldiers then started gambling by casting lots for Jesus’ clothes while Jesus was beaten. In an immense amount of pain, Jesus asked the Father to forgive the soldiers because they did not know what they were doing or who they were killing.

Jesus was nailed to the cross and with His final breath He said, “Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit.” And so it was that Jesus died on the cross and took on the sins of humanity. 

As today is Good Friday, I think it is imperative that we take time to remember what Jesus’ death means: freedom, forgiveness, and eternal life.  One of His final phrases, Jesus said to the criminal in Luke 23:43: “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” We should keep our minds fixed on the eternal perspective of the day that we will be with our Creator and Savior.