“Come see His hands and His feet
The scars that speak of sacrifice
Hands that flung stars into space
To cruel nails surrendered
This is our God, The Servant King
He calls us now to follow Him
To bring our lives as a daily offering
Of worship to The Servant King”
As I was sitting and reflecting upon Good Friday, I was drawn back to the lyrics of a song by Graham Kendrick, the Servant King. It is an incredibly powerful (if rarely sung in my own circles) song and I particularly think of the lyrics of the third verse about the surrender of Jesus Christ upon the cross.
I also remembered that last night I had seen the front page for Good Friday of one of the UK’s national newspapers, which said “Boris is out – now that really is a Good Friday” referring to the fact that UK Prime Minister has come out of Intensive Care. Now I need to start by saying that I am very thankful that our Prime Minister is recovering in the same way that I celebrate everyone who is recovering from COVID-19. But, apart from the huge insult this headline is to the millions of Christians in the UK by diminishing the core event of our faith and saying that it isn’t actually ‘good’, it completely and utterly shows that modern secular Britain simply does not get, remember or understand the heart of Christianity.
The heart of the Christian message is that one man, Jesus Christ, who lived the perfect life and did nothing wrong, CHOSE to undergo suffering that was unimaginable and then CHOSE to allow himself to be mocked, beaten and ultimately killed, not because he deserved the punishment but because WE deserved it. He died, not for himself, but for us … for me. So that I could be forgiven for every wrong act, thought and word. He chose the punishment for my wrongdoing (or to give it its technical name, sin) so that I do not need to face that punishment but, instead can be forgiven, accepted and welcomed by a perfect and holy God. To quote that headline, “Now that REALLY is a Good Friday!”
If you have every wondered why we call a day that celebrates a death, ‘good’, this is it. Anyone who recognises that they have done wrong in their life (any wrong … not just the big stuff), then we deserve to be punished. But, because of Jesus’ actions on the cross, we can be forgiven and free.
There is another great Good Friday song which I love, by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty, which has the following lyrics in it:
“Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death,
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.
This, the power of the cross:
Son of God, slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.”
Now, this is only scratching the surface of what was achieved at the cross. Oh, but what truth.
As it says in 1 Peter 2:21-25 in the Bible …
“In fact, you were called to live this way, because Christ also suffered in your place, leaving you his example for you to follow.
He never sinned
and he never spoke deceitfully.
When he was verbally abused, he did not return with an insult; when he suffered, he would not threaten retaliation. Jesus faithfully entrusted himself into the hands of God, who judges righteously. He himself carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we would be dead to sin and live for righteousness. Our instant healing flowed from his wounding. You were like sheep that continually wandered away, but now you have returned to the true Shepherd of your lives—the kind Guardian who lovingly watches over your souls.” (The Passion Translation)