Good Friday: What Man Meant For Bad, God meant For Good

“And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him...” Luke 23:33

Good Friday was the darkest day in the history of mankind. It was the day that mankind nailed Christ to the cross. But what man meant for evil God meant for good.

Good Friday is indeed where good and evil collide. It was a day when light and darkness met. And the place where they met was Calvary! It was a place where the depraved heart met the heart of a loving God. This event is known as the Passion of Christ.

We all are passionate about something. It could be a person, politics, recreation, hobby, or a job. But God is passionate towards human beings. Not good human beings, for there is only one that is good and that is God. But passionate for fallen humans, sinful humans, and selfish humans. God is passionate about those who are not passionate towards him. He is passionate towards them who want to deny his existence, usurp his authority, and take his place as the sovereign ruler of the universe and their lives.

Jesus gave us a visible illustration of his lovingkindness toward man. He “Went about doing good, healing all who were oppressed of the devil.” (Acts 10:38) He was sinless, selfless, and sincere in his dealing with everyone and yet he was rejected of men and eventually numbered with the transgressors. Finally at the cross we see, that although rejected, “God commended his love towards us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:8)

The good news of the Gospel is that, although at the cross good and evil meet, Jesus, the light of the world, triumphed over the evil passions and dark intentions of men. On the morning the sun shown, but at midday a great darkness came upon the earth. Then after three hours we see that the darkness fled as the sun began to shine again. “The light shined into the darkness and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John 1:5) This signified that a new era was born. Righteousness triumphed over sin and life reigned over death. The cross was not a defeat, it was and still is today a victory. It is a victory to all who believe! And the preaching of it is still “The power of God to save!” (Romans 1:18)

Like the angry mob on that Good Friday we all start off in life crying “Crucify him.” We are born into the darkness and come short of the glory of God. When you and I come to Christ in faith, “His light shines into a dark place and the day star rises in our hearts” (2 Peter 1:19) just as it did at the ninth hour that day. Then it is there, in our hearts, that sin is finished. It is there that death has lost his sting and the grave loses its victory! It is there where death turns to life. It is there that Satan was cast out and defeated. It is in the heart where Christ now reigns supreme and is crowned “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

My daughter drew a picture of Calvary and the cross many years ago when she was little. On it she wrote these words: “Whenever you have a bad day, just look at this and remember that Jesus has the worst day in history so that you could have the best day of your life.”

On that day the worst of man met the best of God. And God won! What man meant for bad, God meant for good and that’s what makes it a Good Friday!

Pastor Robby