6ª Feira SANTA - GOOD FRIDAY

Why is Good Friday significant? Death is usually accompanied by grief. But when Jesus died we call it “good.” Why is that? Jesus paid the price for our wrongdoing. When Jesus died on a cross (crucifixion) all the world’s sin and darkness was placed on his shoulders so that we, and all people, could have the opportunity of a new life in relationship with God, without the barrier of sin. Jesus’ sacrifice and atonement (the price he paid for all humanity) is one that is reflected on by Christians around the world, especially during Holy Week. On our behalf, Jesus experienced the most excruciating and humiliating death of his time. He was mocked, whipped, stripped bare and nailed to a cross. It was a painful, undignified and public way to die. The path Jesus walked to the cross was the toughest journey anyone has faced. Good Friday is significant because Jesus endured every terrible aspect, to give hope to the whole world. Jesus’ final words on the cross were, “It is finished” (John 19:30 NIV). Although it seems at first glance that humans were in control of Jesus’ punishment, Jesus could have stopped the process at any time. Angels could have rescued him. But he persevered because his love for people was greater than the pain he felt.  So while Good Friday is in many ways a very sad and sombre holy day, it is also truly a good day.

Easter is a time of celebration, but it is also a time to reflect and stand in awe of the cross of Christ. The cross was an instrument of cruelty, a symbol of suffering and shame. Yet, for those who believe, it is the very foundation of our faith. The early disciples didn’t hesitate to proclaim the message of the cross, even in the face of ridicule and persecution. Why? Because they knew that without the cross, there is no salvation, no hope, no life.