In a few days, we’ll be observing
another celebration of Good Friday. It is believed that it was on a Friday about
2,000 years ago, Jesus was crucified. But because crucifixion was such a barbaric
form of death, how could anyone think of referring to the occasion of
crucifixion as a Good Friday?
Although the Romans did not invent crucifixion, they perfected it as a form of torture and capital punishment. Crucifixion was designed to produce a slow death, with maximum pain and suffering. Historians agree that it was one of the most disgraceful and cruel methods of execution and usually was reserved for slaves, foreigners and the vilest of criminals.
Before resorting to crucifixion, Roman law required victims to be flogged. For flogging or scourging, the victim was stripped of his clothing, and his hands were tied to an upright post. The severity of the scourging was intended to weaken the victim to a state just short of collapse or death. The Roman soldiers, amused that this weakened man had claimed to be a king, began to mock Jesus by placing a robe on His shoulders, a crown of thorns on His head, and wooden staff, as a scepter in His right hand.
Again I ask, how could the occasion of celebrating the most barbaric form of capital punishment be considered a Good Friday? Honestly though, could the reason for celebrating include the brutal form of death? Just thinking, shouldn’t ones punishment be commensurate with one’s alleged crime? What crime could Jesus have committed to warrant such a horrible form of death?
In his first letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul stated that he proudly preached about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ – even though he knew it was a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Paul contended that the foolishness of God was wiser than human wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:23-25).
Paul strongly believed that the barbarity of the death of Jesus was no accident. He believed that the message of that horrific cross contained power (1 Corinthians 1:17). Power to shame the wise and strong. Like in Paul’s season, our generation looks for symbols of strength to reflect power. Paul argues, Christians look to the crucified Christ for strength and power.
Paul advances at least two reasons. The first is that no one will be able to boast. The symbol of a crucified Christ sounds stupid to anyone with sense. The idea of delighting in the cross of Christ is not a human invention and brings no delight to our intelligence. That idea fits neatly with Paul’s second reason for delighting in the cross – so that our faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power (1 Corinthians 2:5).
Those are only a few of the reasons why I delight in referring to the occasion of Christ’s crucifixion, as a Good Friday. It was the day when Jesus paid the punishment for my sin. It was the day when God was satisfied with the sacrifice of His Son. It was because of that day, I had a basis for becoming a Christian. For me, and I trust for you also, the day that Jesus died was indeed a Good Friday.
