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Good Friday is the Friday that comes before Easter Sunday. The Bible tells us that Good Friday was the day that Jesus was arrested and put to death by crucifixion, or hanging on a wooden cross.

Why was Jesus arrested? Why did the people want Jesus to die? He was so kind and so loving and performed so many wonderful miracles! He was so popular, so many people knew and believed that he was the promised Messiah, because he had just performed a wonderful miracle in front of tons of people. Jesus raised Lazarus back to life after a whole week of being dead.

Palm Sunday was the celebration of Jesus making his way to Jerusalem. The Jewish people cried Hosanna!

The problem was, they wanted Jesus to be king on earth, they didn’t want to wait. They wanted Jesus to show His power in their timing, not God’s timing. They thought they knew better than God.

When Jesus did not defeat Roman rulers like they demanded, they turned on Him and lashed out at Jesus. They immediately cried out for Jesus to be killed. The crowd who were just moments before, dedicated and loving followers of Jesus, quickly turned into an angry and terrible mob who demanded for Him to be killed.

Jesus was ridiculed and beaten by Roman Soldiers due to the request of the angry Jewish religious leaders. They did not want to kill Him, they wanted Rome to punish Jesus for them. The Jewish Leaders were mad because Jesus did not deny that He was God’s Only Son.

The Jewish religious leaders wanted the law of Moses to continue to be the only way to get to Heaven. They did not want Salvation to be what Jesus taught: love, faith and trust.

The Jewish leaders wanted Salvation to be man-made. They wanted to be good enough, do enough and say enough to make it to heaven.

The Jewish Leaders did not believe Jesus when He told them. I am The Way, The Truth and the LIFE – no one comes to the Father, except through me. For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. For God so loved the world, that he gave His is only Begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, will not die, but have eternal life.

All of those promises are found in the BIble. That means they are true. The Jewish leaders did not believe Jesus’ promises. They did not like that Jesus made Salvation simple. They did not like that Jesus made Salvation all about sacrifice, love, submission and humility. They wanted the law, they wanted rules and righteousness, they wanted their own acts and sacrifice to be the only way to Heaven.

Jesus was made to wear a crown made from thorns. He was tortured, whipped, spit upon, beaten and screamed at. He had to carry the cross on which he would be crucified. When He died on the cross, our Lord made a great sacrifice and freed us all from sins. He took the punishment that we deserve for our sin. He died so we don’t have to.

Jesus’ Great Sacrifice paved the way for us to choose to love Jesus because He loved us first. If we make that choice the free gift we receive is to live with Jesus forever in Heaven.

Let us all take a moment and thank our Lord for all the love he has blessed us with. Today is the day we all remember the tremendous love, suffering and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is our Redeemer. Praise His Wonderful Name.

7 Things Jesus said on the Cross

Luke 23:34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Luke 23:43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

John 19:25-27 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

John 19:28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”

John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Luke 23:46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.