Tonight, we have gathered to observe “Good Friday”. But have you ever wondered why we call this Friday “good”? There is a great deal about this Friday that you wouldn’t call “good”. Read through the gospels and you will observe a great many people behaving badly. On this Friday, we observe the disciples behaving badly. The disciple Judas betrays his Rabbis for less money than most people spend on a dog[1]. When confronted by a servant girl, the disciple Peter swears like a sailor that he had never met this guy named Jesus. The other disciples, well, we don’t have specific examples of them acting badly because when Jesus was arrested, they all ran away and hid.
On this Friday, we also observe the Jewish religious leaders behaving badly. They held a secret meeting during which they plotted to arrest Jesus. Under the cloak of darkness, they abducted Jesus in a garden as He prayed. They held an illegal trial where false charges were brought against Jesus. They feigned righteous indignation when Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One and they sentenced Jesus to death.
On this Friday, we further observe the Romans behaving badly. The soldiers treated Jesus inhumanly. With whips they tore the flesh from His back. With a crown of thorns, they pierced His brow. With their fists they bruised His face. With their mouths they mocked and ridiculed Him “Hail king of the Jews!” they laughed and then spit in His face. Then Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified.
Read through the gospel lessons and you will observe a great many people behaving badly on this so called “good” Friday. But look in the mirror and you will see the most badly behaved person of them all. In John 19:18 it says “…there they crucified Him…”. It is interesting to note the subject of the verb is left indefinite. John did not write “there the Romans crucified Him”, though they were the ones who hammed the nails into Jesus’ hands and feet. Likewise, John did not write “there the Jewish religious leaders crucified Him” though they were the ones who shouted, “Crucify Him!” “Crucify Him!” Rather, John wrote “there they crucified Him.” And instinctively you know who “they” are. They are all who have failed to love their neighbors as themselves, all who have gratified the desires of their sinful flesh, all who fallen short of perfection. God’s holy law points an accusing finger at them, and their own conscience condemns them. You know who “they” are. I am they. You are they. There WE crucified Him.
On this Friday we observe a great many people behaving badly, including ourselves. So how can we possibly call this Friday “good”? We call it “good” because our Savior said, “it is finished!”.
In the Gospel of John, “it is finished!” is the last thing Jesus said before He bowed His head, gave up His spirit, and died. There “it is finished” reads almost as a sigh of relief. Humanly speaking Jesus had to be relieved that the physical pain He endured on this day was finished. Likewise, Jesus was undoubtedly relieved that the phycological pain of being abandoned by His friends and betrayed by his church was finished. Further, Jesus was most certainly relieved that the spiritual pain He endured as one forsaken by the Father was finished.
I have no trouble imaging Jesus feeling a sense of relief when He said, “it is finished”. But we get a better sense of what Jesus meant we look to Psalm 22. Indeed, on this night of all nights Jesus wants us to look to Psalm 22. Why else do you think Jesus cried out, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”[2] Jesus is quoting verse 1 of Psalm 22. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”. Psalm 22 is a gory and graphic description of the crucifixion about 1,000 years before it happened. It is easy to be mesmerized by the detailed description and complete accuracy of this prophecy. But don’t overlook how Psalm 22 ends. After a description of dislocated joints, heart failure, parched lips, and pierced hands and feet, Psalm 22 ends with the words, “31… He has done it!”. Those are not words of relief, those are words of rejoicing. “He has done it!” That explains why the other gospel accounts tell us Jesus did not sigh the words, but rather Jesus shouted them, “it is finished!” We required a substitute who would live perfectly in our place, “it is finished!” Our debt of sin needed to be paid in full, “it is finished!” Satan’s head needed to be crushed, “it is finished!” Death needed to be overcome, “it is finished!”
There is a great deal about this Friday that is not good. An innocent man was falsely accused, mercilessly beaten, and unjustly executed for crimes you and I committed. None of those things in and of themselves are good, yet God has worked the greatest of good through them. When the guilt and shame of your sin press down upon you, remember your Savior said, “it is finished!” When Satan says you are too bad to be forgiven, remember your Savior said, “it is finished!” When doubts and questions concerning your salvation unsettle you, remember your Savior said, it is finished!” We call this Friday “Good Friday” because at the end of it all our Savior said, “it is finished!” Amen.
[1] 30 pieces of silver
[2] Mark 15:34