Revisiting the Meaning of Good Friday

With Good Friday round the corner, let me put this question to you: How many Good Fridays have you been through and even as we go through our how many-th time, do we still remember the significance of this day?

Even as a child, Good Friday to me, is public holiday and I remember being all happy because we would all pack off the the hall to watch a video on Jesus, which means it is a time out from class... But not until my coming back to Christ have I come to realize the real meaning of Good Friday. 

As I revisited some of the articles in this blog, I am brought to the article "I am the Cross" and am reminded once again of the significance of the day. Even though I have read this story before, it does not fail to almost bring tears as I read through what Jesus went through and what kept him to the cross. And yet, these are just words. How much more pain did Jesus has to go through in the actual crucifixion? And for what reason?

As I go through thinking about Good Friday, I am brought to 1 Peter, where I read about the work of Christ on the cross:

1 Peter 2:22-25 (NIV)
"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

1 Peter 1:18-21 (NIV)
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Even before Christ came, prophets told of the work of the one who would be sent by God for our sake. One of them is Isaiah as he wrote in Isaiah 53.

Isaiah 53:3- 7(NIV)

 ³ He was despised and rejected by men,

       a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

       Like one from whom men hide their faces

       he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

 ⁴ Surely he took up our infirmities

       and carried our sorrows,

       yet we considered him stricken by God,

       smitten by him, and afflicted.

 ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,

       he was crushed for our iniquities;

       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

       and by his wounds we are healed.

 ⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

       each of us has turned to his own way;

       and the LORD has laid on him

       the iniquity of us all.

 ⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted,

       yet he did not open his mouth;

       he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,

       and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,

       so he did not open his mouth.