Good Friday: "Crucify him!"

 On Good Friday, we commemorate the day when Jesus was "crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men" (Acts 2:23). History has proven that all forms of human government ultimately fail us, beginning with our first representative, Adam, who plunged us all into death and misery. "Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned" (Romans 5:12). God sent us his one and only Son to rule over a redeemed and renewed humanity, but how did the world respond? "He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him." (John 1:11). The world responded then as it responds today, "We do not want this man to reign over us" (Luke 19:14). We killed him. And fallen humanity would do it again. 

We "denied the Holy and Righteous One...[we] killed the Author of life" (Acts 3:14–15). So, Good Friday used to be called Black Friday because of the evil committed that day. We now call it Good Friday because of God's kind sovereign intentions in that historical event. "It was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief" (Isaiah 53:10). Whereas men are responsible for the evil committed that day, they carried out what God's "hand and...plan had predestined to take place" (Acts 4:28).

From Heaven's perspective, Jesus went to the cross willingly to take our place and receive what our sins justly deserve. "The soul who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:20). The cross is God's universal declaration that he hates and punishes sin. Always. Every time. Jesus didn't sin, but he offered himself in our place so that when our sins were placed on his account, though he is God's Son, God did not spare him; "He...did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all" (Romans 8:32). After Jesus' death, he was placed in a tomb where eventually, "God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it" (Acts 2:24). You see, Jesus "is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Hebrews 1:3). What did the Father say to Jesus? "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool" (Psalm 110:1). Yes, God "has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead" (Acts 17:30–31). 

When Peter preached his first Christian sermon pointing these things out, the convicted crowd who realized they had killed Jesus asked, "Brothers, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). To their amazement, Peter gave them the good news, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." (Acts 2:38–39). 

God's gracious offer still stands. What will you do? Will you have Christ rule you? Or will you crucify him once again?