1. Why is it called "Good Friday"? Have you ever given that initial question a thought? Really, though, "Good Friday" was a pretty tough day for Jesus. He was betrayed for money by one of His disciples, convicted in a sham called a trial, mocked, spat upon, beaten, scourged, denied on three occasions by one of His closest disciples, forsaken by the rest of His followers, and, eventually, crucified. How can any day like that be called good? The answer is revealed on "the first day of the week," which is what we are celebrating today. Luke 24:5-6 record for us the comments of the angels: "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!" Yes, the awful Friday can be called good because Christ paid the penalty for our sin; and more importantly, 3 days later He conquered the power of death.
2. How much do you believe in the Resurrection? We often say that we believe that Jesus arose from the dead, but does our life evidence our belief? In Luke 24:12, Peter, who had denied Christ 3 times a few days earlier, ran to the tomb. The Scripture says that "he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened." In other words, Peter was not sure what to think; and his actions revealed it -- instead of running to tell others about the empty tomb, he just went back to fishing (where Christ found him the first time). As we celebrate the Resurrection today, let's make sure that we live like we believe it tomorrow and the next day and the next....
3. Why is the Resurrection important? Many people get hung up right here because, when sharing the Gospel, they focus on Christ's death on the cross. Omitting the Resurrection is only telling part of the story; because if Jesus is still in that tomb, then we are without hope. Think about it -- if Christ raised others from the dead but could not save Himself from its power, then what good is our faith in Him? Romans 10:9 tells us that we must believe that God raised Him from the dead for us to be saved -- trusting in the Resurrection requires faith in the unexplainable which makes it part of the Gospel. Further, Luke 24:6-8 shows us another reason for its importance -- it fulfills a prophecy that Christ gave to the disciples. He told others that He would suffer, die, and rise again; and that is exactly what He did. If Jesus words can be trusted and He conquers the power of death, then we have tremendous hope in Him alone.
4. What does the Resurrection mean to you? This question is not one that I can answer for you because you must formulate that opinion on your own. To me, the Resurrection is, as Romans 1:16 says, "the power of God unto salvation" for the Jews and the Gentiles. It is an assurance that the worst things in the world (death on a cross) can be used by an all-powerful God to accomplish His will (saving mankind). It is hope for the future in that death cannot harm me but will only help usher me into the presence of God (2 Corinthians 5:8).
I encourage you to examine your heart and see what the Resurrection of Jesus really means to you. If it has not changed your life, then I can say with certainty that you do not have a depth of knowledge about this Resurrection. I'd love to talk to you about it....
