Good Friday (John 19)

This upcoming Friday is commonly called Good Friday. It was the day Jesus was put on trial, beaten, mocked, and crucified. It may seem odd to call the day that Jesus was crucified as good, but this is the day that Jesus made “propitiation for the sins of the people” (Heb 2:17). Propitiation means a sacrifice that satisfies; namely, the sacrifice of Jesus that satisfies the Divine wrath of God upon sinners. How can Jesus satisfy the wrath of God? He does so through receiving our punishment and offering us His righteousness

Jesus Is Not Worthy

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He is not worthy of condemnation because He is perfectly righteous.

Not Worthy of Condemnation 

Jesus is Lord of all (Acts 10:36) and the Creator of all things (John 1:3). He is worthy of our love, honor, and worship, but He is not worthy of condemnation. The reason is because Jesus is perfectly righteous and without sin. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin.” 

Jesus is Righteous

Because Jesus is without sin, He is righteous. Jesus obeyed the will of God the Father perfectly and obeyed the Law of Moses completely. This righteousness is unique to Him and makes Him very special. Thus Jesus is the only person to ever live that has no sin, has true righteousness, and is not worthy of condemnation.

Humans Are Worthy

Human beings are worthy of condemnation because we are not righteous.

Worthy of Condemnation

A large number of people are deceived about their own goodness. All you have to do is ask someone: “Do you consider yourself to be a good person?” Most people will answer “Yes, I am a good person” for one or more of the following three reasons: 1) there are certain things they have avoided, 2) there are certain things they do, or 3) the good things they do outweigh the bad things they do. The Bible, however, gives a different answer: “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Rom 3:10). The Bible says that all people are worthy of condemnation (Rom 6:23) because they are sinners (Rom 3:23).

Humans are Not Righteous

Every person is a sinner. The Bible says that we are born sinners. Adam’s rebellion in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3) brought sin and death into the world (Rom 5:12). Through this “one trespass there is condemnation for everyone” (Rom 5:18). To put it another way: We are not sinners because we sin, but we sin because we are sinners. We inherit from Adam—our forefather—a sinful nature that brings us into this world spiritually dead (Eph 2:1). Our sin comes from our rebellion against God that we inherited from Adam. It is out of our heart that sin and evil comes (Matt 15:18-19). This is why we are worthy of condemnation and are not good people.

Humans are Not Worthy

Humans are not worthy of commendation because we are not righteous.

Not Worthy of Commendation

Being worthy of condemnation we are not worthy of commendation. There is no one outside of Jesus Christ who can receive God’s commendation for a life well-lived. In other words, there is no one with whom the Father is well-pleased other than Jesus. Even our good works are comparable to filthy rags (Is 64:6) in God’s sight because we cannot in our natural state please God (Rom 8:8). Jesus is sinless and we are sinful. 

Humans are Not Righteous

Based on what we have just learned it is clear that no human can be declared righteous before God (Rom 3:20). We cannot earn salvation because we are guilty of breaking God’s divine law (James 2:10). We are not worthy of commendation, but only of condemnation.  Once again, this is because we are sinners.

Jesus is Worthy

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He is worthy of commendation because He is perfectly righteous.

Worthy of Commendation

Jesus is unique in that He is worthy of commendation. As we have previously stated, Jesus obeyed the commands of the Father perfectly, did nothing wrong, bad, or sinful. When Jesus was baptized, the Father’s voice from heaven declared: “You are My beloved Son. I take delight in You!” (Luke 3:22).

Jesus is Righteous

Unlike us, Jesus is righteous. This righteousness is important because it establishes that Jesus does not deserve to die. Romans 6:23 says that the “wages of sin is death.” Jesus did not deserve to die but deserves life. This is why His death is so important. 

It’s a Great Friday!

In conclusion, the events of Friday are important because this is the day that Jesus made “propitiation for the sins of the people” (Heb 2:17). Jesus’ death on the cross is the perfect sacrifice for sins that completely satisfied God’s wrath against sin. If you are in Christ, you are forgiven, cleansed and set apart for His service. If you are not in Christ, you are still in your sins and the wrath of God is upon you. If you die in your rebellion, you will be judged in the lake of fire for eternity. Come to Jesus and be saved. Repent of your sins and be healed. When you are saved, God puts in you a new heart and a new spirit (Ez 36:26-27) so that you can “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind…[and] love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:37-39). Because of what Jesus has done for you, may this Good Friday be the best Friday of your life!