Spreading the Good Friday Message

Spreading the Good Friday Message Christmas may be at the top of the festival chart, but Easter also ranks high among the favorites. But before the happy Easter celebrations, Christians observe Lent, a forty-day period of penance and fasting. The Friday that comes before Easter is Good Friday. Good Friday has religious significance since it is the day that Jesus Christ was crucified. Good Friday is regarded as a day of mourning among Christians. Special church service is held on Good Friday. The Friday Before Easter Unlike Christmas, which falls on December 25 every year, there is no fixed date for Easter. This is because Easter is based on the lunar calendar. Hence, Easter typically occurs somewhere between March 22 and April  25. After much research and calculations, religious scholars concluded that Jesus crucifixion took place on a Friday. The estimated year of Jesus crucifixion is 33 CE. Good Friday is also referred to as Black Friday, Holy Friday, and Great Friday. The Story of Good Friday The famous Bible story begins with Judas Iscariots betrayal of Jesus. Despite being one of Christs disciples, Judas betrayed Christ. Jesus was brought before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. Although Pilate could not find any evidence against Jesus, he gave in to the crowds clamor to crucify Christ. Christ was flogged, made to wear a crown of thorns, and eventually crucified alongside two common criminals. The story goes that when Christ finally gave up his spirit there was an earthquake. This happened on Friday, which later came to be known as Good Friday. Jesuss followers later placed his body in a tomb just before sunset. However, the wondrous tale does not end here. On the third day, which is now known as Easter, Jesus rose from the grave. As an American author, Susan Coolidge put it, Earths saddest day and gladdest day were just three days apart! This is why most Easter quotes brim over with happiness. A famous quote by Carl Knudsen goes, The story of Easter is the story of Gods wonderful window of divine surprise. The Promise of Easter The tale of Good Friday is incomplete without the optimism of Easter. Christs death by crucifixion is closely followed by his resurrection. Similarly, the promise of eternal life follows the despair of death. 20th century English Christian leader and Anglican cleric John Stott once proclaimed, We live and die; Christ died and lived! In these words lies the promise of Easter. The gloom of death is replaced with unsullied joy, an optimism that shines through in these words of St. Augustine, And he departed from our sight that we might return to our heart, and there find Him. For He departed, and behold, He is here. If you seek a deeper understanding of Christianity, this collection of Easter quotes and sayings may be insightful. Sacrifice and Triumph Christs death on the cross is regarded as the supreme sacrifice. The crucifixion and the following resurrection are widely regarded as the triumph of good over evil. Augustus William Hare, writer, historian and reverend, expressed his beliefs beautifully in the following lines, The cross was two pieces of dead wood; and a helpless, unresisting Man was nailed to it; yet it was mightier than the world, and triumphed, and will ever triumph over it. Good Friday Traditions The prevailing mood on Good Friday is that of repentance, not celebration. Churches remain undecorated on this Friday of the Holy Week. Church bells do not ring. Some churches cover the altar with black cloth as a sign of mourning. On Good Friday, pilgrims to Jerusalem follow the path Jesus walked carrying his cross. The pilgrims stop at the twelve stations of the cross, as a reminder of Jesus sufferings and death. Similar walks are observed around the world, especially among Roman Catholics who undertake the walk in a bid to atone for Jesuss agonies. Special services are held in many churches. Some organize dramatic renderings of the events leading up to the crucifixion of Christ. The Relevance of Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday Children often look forward to eating hot cross buns on Good Friday. Hot cross buns are so-called because of the pastry cross that runs across them. The cross reminds Christians of the cross on which Jesus died. In addition to eating hot cross buns, families often clean their homes on Good Friday to prepare for the big celebration on Easter Sunday. The Good Friday Message Among other things, Good Friday is a reminder of the compassion and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Whether or not you believe in religion, Good Friday tells us a tale of hope. The Bible upholds the teachings of Jesus words of wisdom that are valid even after two thousand years. Jesus spoke of love, forgiveness, and truth, and not of violence, fanaticism, or revenge. He eschewed ritual for spirituality, urging his followers to tread the path of goodness. Regardless of whether Good Friday is near or far, we all stand to gain from these Jesus Christ quotes. Spread the Good Friday message of compassion and love through these quotes. John 3:16God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Augustus William HareThe cross was two pieces of dead wood; and a helpless, unresisting Man was nailed to it; yet it was mightier than the world, and triumphed, and will ever triumph over it. Robert G. Trache Good Friday is the mirror held up by Jesus so that we can see ourselves in all our stark reality, and then it turns us to that cross and to his eyes and we hear these words, Father forgive them for they know not what they do. Thats us! Theodore Ledyard CuylerExalt the Cross! God has hung the destiny of the race upon it. Other things we may do in the realm of ethics, and on the lines of philanthropic reforms; but our main duty converges into setting that one glorious beacon of salvation, Calvarys Cross, before the gaze of every immortal soul. William PennSo shall we join the disciples of our Lord, keeping faith in Him in spite of the crucifixion, and making ready, by our loyalty to Him in the days of His darkness, for the time when we shall enter into His triumph in No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown. Robert G. Trache There is no faith in Jesus without understanding that on the cross we see into the heart of God and find it filled with mercy for the sinner whoever he or she may be. Bill HybelsGod led Jesus to a cross, not a crown, and yet that cross ultimately proved to be the gateway to freedom and forgiveness for every sinner in the world. T. S. EliotThe dripping blood our only drink,The bloody flesh our only food:In spite of which we like to thinkThat we are sound, substantial flesh and bloodAgain, in spite of that, we call this Friday good.