It’s (Good) Friday, but remember . . . Sunday’s comin’
I’ve shared this Good Friday message ahead of Easter Sunday many times in the past, but with things going the way they are in today’s America, I’m posting it again as a reminder that no matter how dark today may seem . . . it’s only Friday. Sunday’s comin’.
Good Friday, a day annually set aside by Christians to remember the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. Why is it called Good Friday? Possibly because the word “good” used to mean “holy.” However, regardless of its origins, it is recognized around the world as a day to remember the death of Jesus Christ: Son of Man and Son of God.
Of course, Good Friday is followed by Easter Sunday, the day that Christians around the world celebrate Jesus’ victory over sin and death when he was resurrected from the grave. Traditionally, we say the words “He is risen” to serve as a reminder that Jesus’ death was not in vain; that He has defeated death and the grave (via GotQuestions.org):
A traditional Easter greeting in the Western church is the exclamation “He is risen!” and the traditional response is “He is risen, indeed!” The words are sometimes accompanied by the exchange of three kisses on alternate cheeks, depending on the church. In the Orthodox and Catholic churches, the greeting is called the “Paschal greeting” and is a very old custom.
The greeting is ultimately based on Luke 24:34. Translations throughout church history, from the Latin Vulgate (c. AD 400) to the ESV (2001) have translated this verse nearly identically: “The Lord has risen indeed and has appeared to Simon!” (ESV). Exactly how the saying became a standard greeting in the church is not known, although there are various theories regarding how it came into common usage.
We do know that, at first, the greeting was more common in Eastern and Byzantine liturgies than in the Western church. There is a tradition in the Eastern Orthodox Church that the saying was made popular by Mary Magdalene when she supposedly addressed Emperor Tiberius in Rome with the words “Christ is risen.”
The “He is risen!” Easter address needs to be much more than mere tradition. When we say, “He is risen!”, it should serve as a reminder to us that this incredible and life-changing truth is the reason we celebrate. It should remind us that Jesus’ death was not in vain, and that He has the power to overcome death. Saying “He is risen!” allows us to share this incredible truth with each other. The resurrection of Christ gives us hope for salvation and for our own resurrection and eternal life.
Looking back at the day Jesus was crucified, one can only imagine how dark the events of that day must have felt to his many followers after witnessing all he had done and the hope he had given them. Under the circumstances, it’s easy to see how they may have felt like all was lost. But that was before the resurrection.
When I reflect on Good Friday, I’m reminded of an old sermon by S.M. Lockridge called “Sunday’s Comin’.” In this short but succinct message, Lockridge perfectly describes how on this dark day, where all who followed Jesus chose to abandon him (except for Mary his mother) to die alone, there was still reason for hope because Sunday was indeed coming.
Please take a few minutes to enjoy his great sermon using footage from The Passion of The Christ:
Think about the last few stanzas of this powerful message:
It’s Friday – Hope is lost – Death has won – Sin has conquered and Satan’s just a laughin’
It’s Friday – Jesus is buried – A soldier stands guard – And a rock is rolled in place
But it’s Friday – It’s only Friday – SUNDAY IS A-COMIN’!
As I meditate on these words, I can’t help but draw a parallel to life in America today. Once a land of great promise, it’s beginning to feel like evil has won; that hope is lost. But maybe, just maybe, it’s only Friday in America. Maybe, just maybe, there’s a Sunday and a resurrection in store for this once-great nation.
I hope you’ll take some time on this Good Friday to consider the amazing love God showered on creation when Jesus sacrificed his life to reconcile us to God . . . and to remember that no matter how dark today may, Sunday is a-comin’.
David Leach is the owner of the Strident Conservative. He holds people of every political stripe accountable for their failure to uphold conservative values, and he promotes those values instead of political parties. He the author of The New Axis of Evil: Exposing the Bipartisan War on Liberty.
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