Passion Week: Good Friday

I bet that the world wonders why we call this day Good Friday, when it is the day of the death of our Lord. Maybe this verse will help those who wonder about such things...

"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree')." Galatians 3:13 What an awseome verse that sums up what happened on the Friday that Jesus died for us on the cross! Within it, we see two actions of God - one is an action that deals with us and the second is an action that deals with the person of God.

First we see that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. The word redemption in the Greek referred to the purchase of a slave's freedom. Thus we may literally think of the work of Christ on the cross as His purchasing our freedom. This implies that we were enslaved to sin, and works of inquity. But Christ's work redeemed us (freed us, released us) from the curse of enslavement and sin. Hallelujah!

The second thing we see is that Christ became a curse for us. I know that I have read over this part of the verse quickly and have not stopped to think about its implications. Christ (fully God and fully Man, the One who holds together this world and the universe, the great I AM of the Old Testament, the One who is and was, and is to come) became a curse for me! He took all the wrath and the punishment for that which belonged to the ones who had broken the law(us). Praise be to God!

Redemption is the theme of the entire Bible. This one verse describes the love of God towards us. I can never get enough of thinking about Christ's redeeming work on the cross, the mystery of it all, and the wonderful and awesome God Who did it. I want to encourage you friend, if the theme of redemption doesn't warm your heart, you should seek the Lord. Ask Him to reveal the wonder of it.

So yes, to those who wonder, this Friday is good. Good indeed! Redeemed how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the lamb! Redeemed thro' His infinite mercy; His child and forever, I am.