Good Friday? (Part 1)
Posted by: biblenotes <biblenotes@...>
From: Martin Overfield
Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2001
Good Friday? (Part 1)
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground
and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."
(John 12:24) (Verses 23 thru 34 prove beyond doubt that Jesus is here
referring to His own death.)
Good Friday indeed! Let us be careful not to forget what Jesus Christ
went through that you and I might refer to "Passion Week" and especially the
Friday in which He was crucified as "good". I have no argument against the
goodness of all that He went through for us, but I would urge us to try to
understand in some small measure the depth of darkness, despair, apparent
defeat and of actual death that our Lord faced for the good of OUR souls.
Even a surface reading of the New Testament gives us overwhelming
testimony and evidence of the reality of Who Jesus Christ really is and what
marvelously wonderful things He has said and done for mankind. While we
but briefly review such profound truths and such displays of Heaven-born
goodness, I would like us to look upon some of the things in Christ's life
that stand in stark contrast to them. These contradictory things come not
from Christ Himself, but rather from the wretched rejection arising from the
sinful, hard hearts of the very people whom Christ came to save. Yet, God
used these things to show forth the light of His glory and grace, the love
of His infinite heart, and the transcendent truth of His eternal Word made
flesh with greater clarity than could have otherwise been shown.
I. HIS MISSION WAS MISTAKEN
Christ's mission as the very Son of God and as the very Son of Man,
fully God and fully man, was to save His people from their sins. He came to
redeem us from all iniquity, to provide a way for man to be justified and
sanctified before God, and to share in His glory forever. (Matthew 1:21;
Titus 2:14; John 14:3; John Chapter 17)
Yet, Christ, who "was in all points tempted like as we are" (Hebrews
4:15), was doubted. From the wilderness, where Satan said, "If thou be the
Son of God..." to His family, to His home town (Nazareth, where He could
do no mighty works because of their unbelief), to the religious leaders who
asked by what authority He acted, to the criminal on the cross and the
jeering crowd, who said "If thou be the Son of God, come down from the
cross." (Matthew 27:40) -- Jesus was the target of tremendous criticism that
either said or implied that He had missed His calling, or that He had never
been called or sent of God at all!
You may very well be called of God to do something for Him and souls,
but do not be surprised if your calling is called into question by men who,
though mistaken themselves, will think and perhaps even proclaim that you
are not called. Yes, we, unlike Christ, might fall short in some measure in
the fulfillment of our calling, but GOD CALLS US, NOT MEN! It is
imperative to be sure of our calling and to do our best to be faithful to
God,
but opposition from people does not necessarily disprove that we are called.
Thank God that Jesus did not let men stand between Him and the Father's
will for His life! Where would we be today if Jesus had not fulfilled His
mission? It was only when He cried, "It is finished", and died that full
atonement was made for all the souls of mankind from Adam to the end of
time. Oh, how fruitful was his death! Rather than abide alone - being
separated from His children for eternity -- He came and "for the joy that
was set before him", the "bringing" of "many sons unto glory", "endured the
cross" and "the contradiction of sinners against himself". (Hebrews 2:10;
12:2,3)
(The remaining four points we will try to approach next time.)
II. HIS MOTIVES WERE MALIGNED
III. HIS MIRACLES WERE MISAPPROPRIATED
IV. HIS MESSAGE WAS MISREPRESENTED
V. HIS MANHOOD WAS MUTILATED AND MURDERED
Yours In Christ,
Martin Overfield
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