On Good Friday …

posted by Navigators on April 17th, 2025 in Blog | Gospel | Jesus

By Grant Dibden

I remember as a kid laughing at Christianity for calling the day that Jesus died Good Friday. I thought that was crazy. ‘Good Friday, the day the supposed hero died? Surely it should be Bad Friday! Those Christians are nuts.’ I really had no clue about Christianity. I had gone to Sunday school and knew about Jesus, but I just didn’t understand the gospel.

See, it wasn’t just bad luck or bad timing that Jesus died. Jesus wasn’t some political activist, or some do-gooder, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time when things got out of hand. No – it was a deliberate act of a loving God to bring about reconciliation between God and humankind.

Jesus, the perfect man, God in human form, died in our place, in my place and in your place, to pay the penalty of death that we deserve for the wrong things each and everyone one of us has done. No one is good enough to get into heaven on their own merit.

I didn’t really get it. I thought sinners are the paedophiles, the murders and the drug pushers. Well, they are … but we’re sinners too. Every one of us. We’ve all done something wrong. We’ve all had wicked thoughts, said hurtful things, been greedy or jealous or lied. In fact we are Barabbas. We are rebels who deserve to die for our sins, but Jesus took my place on that cross the way he took Barabbas’. Sure, Barabbas could see a direct physical link as he was released and Jesus crucified there and then, and we can’t see that – but it’s just as real.

That’s why Jesus’ death makes Good Friday good! Jesus dying for me. Dying in my place to exhaust the wrath of God against me. That’s why we ought to be so thankful and relieved on Good Friday!

In many churches Isaiah 53 is read on Good Friday. Archbishop Kanishka Raffel summarises this passage very well in the Hope 25 Lenton Studies for the Anglican Church. He writes:

It’s the last of Isaiah’s four “Servant Songs” and it’s the most well-know.

On the night of his betrayal, Jesus quotes Isaiah 53:12 saying: “It is written, ‘And he was numbered with transgressors’; and indeed what is written about me is being fulfilled.” (Lk 22:37). The Lord promises his Servant ‘a portion with the great’ (verse 12) followed by four grounds for the Lord’s commendation and exaltation of his ‘righteous servant’.

First: his was a willing sacrifice – he poured out his life unto death. He was a willing champion of his people: he engaged the enemy without fear, with complete trust in the Lord – even unto death.

Second: he was numbered with the transgressors. He was counted as a sinner though he had done no violence nor was there any deceit in his mouth (verse 9b). He stood with us; in our place; for our sake.

Third: his death bore the sin of many. Here is the great victory – our sin which holds the power of death was done away with in his death. The intolerable burden of fear and guilt and condemnation – he bore it away in his body on the tree. But he was pierced for our transgressions … the punishment that brought peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed (verse 5).

Fourth: he made intercession for the transgressors – he is able to plead our case, because he has made the acceptable sacrifice. His blood speaks a better word (Heb 12:24).

So, on this Good Friday, let us be gripped by the enormity of the cost to redeem us, the death in our place of God the Son. Oh, what amazing, incredible, wonderful, stunning and astonishing love!