good.

It's Good Friday.

Today we remember the day Jesus died. On the cross. Beaten beyond recognition, crown of thorns stuck on His head, crowds jeering at Him, women weeping, nails through His wrists and feet, put onto a cross and left to die. And He did. Jesus died.

Leaving it there makes it sound bad, not good. And it's already been established that today is GOOD, right?

You see, long before the cross, long before any of that, there was God. The Bible says that, actually: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth". He was there from the start. You know what happens next. God gives a command and Adam and Eve disobey. Fellowship with God is broken, sin has entered into the world.

Many generations follow, all sinful. Some of those people do walk with God. Some of those people prophesy about a Savior. They write about a figurative lamb who will take away the sins of the world. They talk about a man who will take on the sinfulness of all men. He will be born of a virgin, something pretty much impossible (but all things are possible with God). His name is Messiah. He will be God and Man.

Skipping ahead just a little more, Jesus is born of a virgin. He is the one prophesied about. He will take on the sins of the world. He spends three years, teaching, healing, and ministering to people. He claims to be equal with God, which doesn't go over very well with the religious officials. They plot to kill Him, on charges of blasphemy.

One of His very own followers betrays Him and gives Him over to those who want to take His life. He is put on trial. He doesn't defend Himself when they accuse Him but asserts that He definitely is who He claimed to be. They assume that this is reason to kill Him. He goes through the whole gamut of religious and political leaders and finally He is sentenced to die on a cross, pretty much the worst way to die.

And so He does. He dies. And since He wasn't just saying something, since He was actually who He said He was, He does what He came to earth to do. He died, sinless, taking on the sin of all mankind. He could do that because He was God and man. "It is finished", He said, taking His last breath. And then He died.

If not for that, it would be a regular Friday. And there wouldn't be hope. We'd be left to our own devices and trying to get to God and redeem our sin ourselves.

Because of Jesus' death, there IS hope.

And that's why it's Good.