Christmas brings us much joy, happiness and celebration. But the story doesn’t end there. The Christian history of salvation continues. It continued to a place called Golgotha where the Savior of the world ended up on the cross. And we hear the fainting voice of our Savior, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? In this cry, we hear the pain, the rejection of the father. As much as it is painful for Jesus to go through that moment, it was necessary for our sake.
It is on Good Friday, up on Calvary’s mountain we see the Savior of the world being punished, beaten, pierced and was left bleeding to death. Not for his fault but for our sins and transgressions. What a Savior we have that he was willing to bear the punishment, the wrath of God on our behalf. The Son of God, sinless and faultless yet was willing to bear the punishment even death on the cross. Paul testify this aspect when he said, “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8).
What is there to call this Friday as Good Friday when I see pain, suffering and rejection. I can only understand when I see my own sin and wretchedness. When I realize that the punishment which was suppose to be on me was placed on him. “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him and by his wounds we are healed”(Isaiah 53:5).
It is in this, that on Good Friday I see the grace of God in perfect glory for me. I could not have faced the resurrection day had it not been for the cross, where God in Christ took my place as a punishment for my sin.
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Good Friday makes sense to me because I now know Christ took my place. I was enslaved to sin but now in his suffering I am freed and my salvation is secured. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed” ( 1 Peter 2:24).
The Christian story of salvation did not end there. It continued from the cross to the grave. God did not only set me free with the event on the cross but I am now set free and with the resurrection my salvation, my eternity is sealed. Resurrection gives me hope as well as the power to live the Christian life.
Resurrection becomes the central point of my hope and faith. As Paul said to the Corinthians, “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:13-14).
Good Friday is where I see the convergence of great suffering of God’s forgiveness. It is on the cross the wrath and mercy met and I am set free. That is good Friday to me. And it is in the resurrection I see hope and the light of eternity. That is resurrection day to me (John 11:25-26).
Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday are not just an events to be observed and celebrated. They are meant to be personally experienced in ones life. My prayer is that on this two important events in Christian history, we will all experience the grace, mercy, hope and power of God in our lives. That we will come to term with our utter helplessness that without God’s work on the cross and the resurrection we will still be lost in sin.
Zelhou Keyho
General Secretary, Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC)
