Today, we celebrate the day Jesus died on the cross. It has become known as Good Friday. The events leading up to this day we celebrate and the events that took place on this day are anything but pleasant to think about. The things that Jesus suffered were horrendous, yet, the only words he would utter toward the perpetrators was Father forgive them. If someone asked you why did Jesus have to die, what would your answer be? Most would say to save us from our sins. That is true but there is so much more behind the meaning of Good Friday. (Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.) Christianity is the only belief system on this earth that insists that Jesus substitutionary death on the Cross is the ONLY WAY to get right with God. What’s the big deal with Jesus and the Cross? Here are the 3 main reasons for Jesus dying on the cross. 1.GOD IS HOLY­­. God is almighty, perfect, and separate from his creation. He is without sin of any kind. That’s great, but it creates a problem for us: our sinful human state separates us from him (Isaiah 6:3-5). This is serious trouble and it gets worse. 2. GOD IS RIGHTEOUS. God requires justice, either in this life or the next. A price must be paid for every wrong. Sin is like a cancer that won’t go away. It must be destroyed, which means we all get the death penalty. This is why no one can ever be good enough to make it to heaven by their own effort. (Romans 3:23-26). We all had received the death sentence. 3. GOD IS LOVE. God loves us, whom he’s created, and wants to have relationship with us. So after centuries of Old Testament animal sacrifice, he paid his own penalty and gave us Jesus Christ, who was simultaneously God and human. Jesus died in our place to pay the price (death) for the sins of all humanity and to give a “not guilty” verdict to those who receive him as Lord of their lives. His resurrection overcame the powers of death and hell to guarantee eternal life to those who are his (Revelation 1:17-18), while here and now his Spirit brings life to our previously disconnected human spirits. When we look at where we were and what God did for us, it makes this day we celebrate GOOD FRIDAY. Today is good, very good. I pray God will open my eyes and mind to the depths and reasons Jesus came to die for me. Pastor Don [image: image.png]