What's So Good About Friday?

 Grace and peace all.

First read ~ John 16:5-14

I am currently doing Beth Moore’s devotional, “John, 90 Days with the Beloved Disciple.” This devotional is truly opening my eyes and blessing me in so many ways. I am really growing deeper in the Word and in Christ. I definitely recommend it!  Furthermore, one particular devotion really touched my heart. Beth wrote about how we do not always need more patience, love, self-control, kindness etc… We just need more of the Holy Spirit. This began to shake my world up. Let’s tie this principle into Good Friday.

Today, I am writing on an extremely special day known as Good Friday. Some may ask, “What’s so good about a man dying?” Well, nothing is great about any ordinary man dying however, Jesus Christ was not just an “ordinary” man. Yes, indeed he was 100% man, but don't forget that he was also 100% God. It was so important that Jesus came as flesh in order to be our propitiation or our sin substitute (John 1:14).  It was also essential that Christ was God, so He had the ability to redeem our souls. Why is this so important? Jesus’ flesh died on Good Friday, but three days after the death of His flesh, His spirit raised His body from the dead. If Jesus was not both 100% man and God, we would have never received eternal salvation. That is just how precise our God is!

So what’s so great about Good Friday? Everything! Jesus Christ stood in the place of sin so all could have access to the Trinity again. Also, without this day we would have never received the beautiful, wonderful, powerful, and mighty gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came on to the scene 50 days after the resurrection of Christ, also known as the day of Pentecost. Without the Holy Spirit in our Christian walk, we would have no guide, no comforter, and no counsel from God. We need the Holy Spirit to convict us, to comfort us, and ultimately to lead us every day of our lives.

You see, we act like Nicodemus, the ruler of the Jews, over in John 3 sometimes. We question who God is and what He is doing in our lives because our natural minds cannot grasp it. We want to trust God and His plans for our lives, but find ourselves struggling with immense doubt. But in actuality, all we need is more of the Holy Spirit to trust Him. If Nicodemus, had the Holy Spirit in Him, we can conjecture that he probably wouldn’t have questioned and doubted the Messiah in the way he did. However, since the Holy Spirit did not fall until after the resurrection and ascension of Christ, he didn't have this luxury quite yet. It’s funny because Jesus obviously knew this too. I believe that is why Jesus was patient with Nicodemus, just like He is with us sometimes. We need to stop questioning the Lord and begin to trust Him through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Beloved, God is so precise that He made your fingerprint like no one else in the world. He uniquely designed you before the foundation of the world was created. (Ephesians 1:4) His plan for your life has been done with so much precision that your natural mind probably could not even grasp the concept. Stop questioning it! We serve a precise God! Unlike Jesus, we know we are not both 100% God and man. We are strictly man, in need of a higher spirit/power. So today, I urge you to ask for more of the Holy Spirit (John 3:34). He is all you need! You will be able to fully trust God if you have more of the Spirit in you! 

So again, what’s so good about Friday? Well, if Jesus never laid down his life for us we would have never received eternal salvation. Also, we would not be able to receive daily salvation which is found in the Holy Spirit.

“Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you.” John 16:7