Do you know why Jesus gave himself up on Good Friday? Because he truly knows and loves us that much. He left His kingdom and emptied Himself all the way to his own shedding of blood and a humiliating death on the cross. He sacrificed himself to save us from eternal death and give us eternal life in His Father’s House, with him. In John 14:2-3, Jesus says, "In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am."

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. The only ticket to Heaven, if you will. But to know him is to love him and loving him makes you want to love everyone. According to Divine Justice, the penalty for sin is death. It’s a logical and good choice to choose life, and yet we still sin. But God is all good. All the time!

Jesus, fully trusting in God, His Father, lowered himself to us from His Heavenly kingdom and into Creation. He was born under the veil of flesh into time through an immaculately conceived virgin mother from the line of David and given an earthly father in Joseph, the quiet carpenter and protector of the Holy Family. Joseph parallels Joseph from the Old Testament who also receives messages in dreams and who sets aside food supply for an impending famine he interpreted from Pharoah’s dream.

New Testament Joseph is the saint of a happy death because Jesus and Mary surely would have been at his bedside upon his death. As is with many of God’s stories, it is bittersweet because yet he knew what Mary and Jesus would face in the near future and he could not protect his precious son and wife. It is heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time because he would have had great faith.

God himself must have been grieved especially the moment when, in the garden He denied Jesus’ request to take this cup away from him. An angel comforted him as his disciples slept. God accepts Jesus’ sacrifice in obedience to God’s will and allows Jesus’ suffering in redemption for the greatest Good.

Jesus sacrificed his life so that we can have eternal life, because we needed a savior. We are sinners.

Jesus’ mother’s heart was indeed pierced. She must have wanted to die with him. Mary Magdalene, some other women and one disciple were there at the cross when Jesus died. Could you put yourself there at the foot of the cross as that one ‘disciple that Jesus loved'?

The hour of Jesus’ death remains the hour of mercy inviting us to reconciliation with Our Father and forgiveness of our sins. It is also a time and place to be at the foot of the cross and surrender our needs to him. He is pinned to the tree with open arms awaiting us to comfort him, and to trust in him as a disciple. When we repent, Jesus forgets our sins. They are washed clean. He sets us free!

God offered his own son for the purpose of, once and for all, redeeming sin by mankind. The angels, too, already had their choice and many followed pride, Lucifer, and fell forever. Jesus established a new covenant with man in his own blood to reconcile fallen man with God. Only He could make this sacrifice, and He did! Jesus on the cross invites us to approach this New Covenant fount of Divine Mercy, for even after his death when they struck him through his side with a lance, blood and water poured out when it hit his heart.

Previously the sacrificial lamb was a one year old unblemished lamb. The idea is after having spent time with the sinner caring for it. This practice originated with God choosing Abel’s better sacrifice of the firstborn lamb of his flock over Cain’s harvest sacrifice. The point is conversion, metanoia, transformation, not bloody sacrifices.

Sin grew even after God tried to wipe it away with the flood. We are each born with that original sin. You could say it is in our blood. Every generation prayed for the virgin who would bear the promised savior. The prophets foretold of him. Angels pronounced and rejoiced when he was born!

Jesus, on Good Friday, who is the High Priest, willingly offered Himself to God as the One and final sacrifice, bringing many prophecies to fulfillment and hope to many.

After The King of the Jews, as depicted on his cross, died one of the centurions said, ‘This indeed was the son of God.’ and many walked away ‘beating their breasts’.

Jesus’ crucifixion happened during the Jewish Feast of Passover or Unleavened Bread, which happens to be the same week this article was written. It is a remembrance on the Eve of the Exodus of God saving his chosen people, the Israelite slaves’ Exodus from Egypt. He told them about how much he had longed for eating the pascal lamb with them. He also informed the of his impending death because of a betrayer that was present, Judas Iscariot. While they were eating, Jesus blessed and offered the bread to eat which is his body and the wine to drink which his blood, ushering in the New Covenant and the Eucharist, or Communion, at this Last Supper. He also foretold of Peter’s denial, (but Peter would soon repent. Judas would not).

Like the eating of the pascal lamb in The Exodus before the freeing from slavery and sprinkling blood on the doorposts, the Israelites were ‘passed-over’ when God chastised Egypt the 10th time after Pharoah did not heed the other plagues. God was carrying out chastisements on Egypt to try to get them to free His Chosen People. Devastatingly, his angels carried out killing the firstborns of the Egyptions, including the king’s own son. There was wailing to be heard. Pharoah finally freed God’s people when he saw that the Israelites who offered ‘Passover’ the night before were spared this calamity and still had their little ones.

Jesus is now the pascal lamb that God’s wrath passes over us when we implore his mercy through Jesus. THAT’S THE GOOD NEWS!!!

From the cross Our Savior’s final words are, ‘It is finished’, meaning His eternal sacrifice, the new covenant in His own blood. Jesus on the cross is the intersection of Heaven and Earth that we have access to right now. When he resurrects in his glorified state on Easter Sunday, his nail wounds in his hands are still with him.

More recently, Jesus asked a poor nun, Saint Faustina, to have an image painted in the pattern she saw with Jesus standing in the dark with rays emanating down in red and white, rays symbolizing his blood and water of baptism. He also asked that a feast day of Divine Mercy be 8 days after his resurrection, now known as Divine Mercy Sunday. Jesus’ wounds are like openings for sinners to approach the father for a forgiveness and a reconciled relationship. Jesus Christ, Our Brother, longs to share his own inheritance with us. We do not deserve it, but Jesus loves us that much, that he made a way!

Jesus is Our Light and Our Salvation. His word is a light to our footsteps. Pilate asked Jesus on trial, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered, ‘I Am’, the same Name God, His Father gives Himself of old, “I Am”. ‘I Am’, the shortest two words to ponder forever. In fact, Google Says: ‘In the Bible, Jesus uses the phrase "I AM" in seven distinct ways, each conveying a different aspect of his identity and purpose. These declarations, found primarily in the Gospel of John, are often considered self-identifications with God. Some key "I AM" statements include: "I AM the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), "I AM the vine" (John 15:1), and "I AM the light of the world" (John 8:12)

Jesus promised us before he died that he would ask God to send a Helper to us in his name. He sent The Third Person of the Holy Trinity, The Holy Spirit and the disciples become animated and yet full of peace. Jesus, from the cross also gave us a mother, his grieving mother, Mary, the one who knows him best, to be our own eternal mother.

Who can imagine what we look forward to in our heavenly home because of Jesus’ own suffering. It helps us to put our own suffering perspective of the cross. Jesus says, ‘If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you also’. The story is beautiful and bittersweet and awesome and hallowing at the same time. it’s biblical! And, ladies and gentlemen, we can enter into that glory with Jesus and ask him for forgiveness and reconciliation. Pray and be filled with Peace! May you have a blessed Holy Week, Happy Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday and transformative spring season! God bless you.

The Good News about Good Friday

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