Friday, April 06, 2007

The Message of Good Friday

I will let the Scripture speak for itself.
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"...He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth." (Isaiah 53:7b)

"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!' " (John 1:29)

"Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, 'Behold the Man!' " (John 19:5)

"And when the centurion, who stood facing Him, saw that He thus breathed His last, he said, 'Truly this man was the Son of God!' " (Mark 15:39)

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:5-8)

"For they reasoned unsoundly to themselves, 'Let us lie in wait for the righteous Man, because He is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; He reproaches us for sins against the law, and accuses us of sins against our training. He professes to have knowledge of God, and calls Himself a Child of the Lord. He became to us a reproof of our thoughts; the very sight of Him is a burden to us, because His manner of life is unlike that of others, and His ways are strange. We are considered by Him as something base, and He avoids our ways as unclean; He calls the last end of the righteous happy, and boasts that God is His Father. Let us see if His words are true, and let us test what will happen at the end of His life; for if the righteous man is God's Son, He will help Him, and will deliver Him from the hand of His adversaries. Let us test Him with insult and torture, that we may find out how gentle He is, and make trial of His forbearance. Let us condemn Him to a shameful death, for, according to what He says, He will be protected.' Thus they reasoned, but they were led astray, for their wickedness blinded them, and they did not know the secret purposes of God, nor hope for the wages of holiness, nor discern the prize for blameless souls." (The Wisdom of Solomon 2:2a, 12-22)

"When Jesus had received the vinegar, He said, 'It is finished'; and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit." (John 19:30)

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