Good Friday: The Day Death Died

We carry our doubts, fears, worries and concerns - the shackles that bind and blind. But Good Friday arrives, and all are absorbed into the mystery of Christ.

This is Good Friday. 

It’s called Good Friday for a reason. It’s good because the badness of the world was dealt a comprehensive blow - good because this was the day death died. Christ dealt with sin that he might conquer death - to take victory from him who held the power of death: the devil.  As it says, ‘Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.’

The Apostle Paul writes, ‘The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.’ But the law only has power over those who can't keep it. To deal with death, sin must be extracted and for sin to be extracted the law must be upheld. So here comes the one who has ‘been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin.’ The law is kept so the power of sin can be broken. And finally, the sting is removed, absorbed through Christ on the cross. The absorption of sin renders death powerless. The cycle is broken: ‘The death he died, he died to sin once for all.’

What’s more, ‘we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.’ The seed of death sown through sin - over which the devil held power is dealt its final blow and all heaven cries Hallelujah. The serpent is surpassed, his scheming ways crushed by the mystery of Christ. John exclaims: The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.’ 

'It is finished'. 

This is Good Friday. 

It’s good not simply because it’s an historical event - but because it’s a living experience. Christ's death offers new life - the old has gone and the new has come. We enter this as someone passing from death to life. As those leaving slavery and walking into freedom. 

In the final triumph its exclaimed, ‘He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ 

All things are being made new. The story continues - Good Friday is not the end, only the beginning of God's intention. Death's power is broken – whilst we still live under its' shadow as we wait the fulfilment of all things. 'When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’

This is Easter's cry.  Hope emerging from the tomb, rising, declaring – shouting: 

‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?'

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

This is GOOD Friday. 

(Bible References in order: Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:56; Hebrews 4:15; Romans 6:10; Romans 6:9; 1 John 3:8; Revelation 21:5; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57.)

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