On Substitution & Suffering
Good Friday
Matthew 27:1-62, Mark 15:1-47, Luke 22:63-23:56, and John 18:28-19:37
Now known to us as Good Friday because of what was accomplished, that Friday over two thousand years ago would have felt anything but good. It dawned in fear for those who knew and loved Jesus and culminated in utter tragedy for them by day’s end.
After beating Jesus and accusing him of blasphemy, Caiaphas turned Jesus over to Pilate who ultimately tried to leave Jesus’ fate up to the people. He offered them Barabbas, a criminal who was under condemnation and whose guilt was certain, and he offered them Jesus, against whom there was no credible accusation. With the crowd whipped into a frenzy, they made their wishes known. Barabbas was released and as the crowd jeered, Jesus was sentenced to crucifixion as the King of the Jews.
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:5-12
On Good Friday, we remember. We remember the journey of Jesus on our behalf. We remember his sorrow and suffering. We remember his humility and agony. We remember that he replaced us. He was our substitute. Our scapegoat. He spilled his blood for us because only perfect blood could cover us. And now we’re clothed in his robes of righteousness by the grace of God. By the stripes of Jesus we are healed. Ask the Holy Spirit to restore the joy of your salvation today and increase your gratitude for the sacrifice of his Son. For a while on that Friday and Saturday, it seemed darkness had won. But Sunday was coming…
