From the Cross to the Empty Tomb
Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday form the core of our Christian faith. The events that unfolded tell of the profound journey … from the sacrificial, agonizing death of Jesus on the cross to His victorious resurrection three days later. Together with Christmas, they tell of God’s redemption story — the virgin birth of Jesus, His life and ministry, His atoning sacrifice on the cross and burial, and three days later, His resurrection from the dead. All these events are recorded in the Bible to declare God’s triumph over sin, death, and the grave; and God holding out to us a beacon of light and hope in place of darkness, despair and death.
It’s not my wish to be simplistic or trivialize theologians and Biblical scholars who spend their lifetime studying Scriptures and debating. In this article, allow me to share some personal reflections on Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday from an eternal perspective:
“Carrying his own cross, he [Jesus] went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle” (John 19:17–18, NIV).
The events that unfolded tell of the profound journey … from the sacrificial, agonizing death of Jesus on the cross to His victorious resurrection three days later.
The Significance of Good Friday
“Good Friday” commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus: the death of Jesus, God’s only Son was the single most horrible injustice in human history.
Jesus, as the perfect Lamb, willingly offered Himself as the Sin-Bearing Servant. He took the punishment for human sin, offering redemption and reconciliation that we human beings can never achieve on our own. The cross is the ultimate demonstration of God’s love — Jesus, as He hung on the cross in agony, offered forgiveness to those who were gathered at the foot of the cross … and Jesus’s last words, “It is finished,” is a declaration that His work on earth is complete … the debt of sin is paid once for all, and humanity is reconciled with God through faith in Jesus Christ!
That’s WHY we call it ‘Good’ Friday! The events that unfolded testify that good trumps the bad; because the bad was temporary while the good is eternal. God’s love and grace had come to us soaked in divine blood. Good Friday marks the day when wrath and mercy met at the cross. That’s why Good Friday is so dark and so Good. Allow me to elaborate…
The Gospel accounts of the Crucifixion and Resurrection tell of Christ in deep anguish as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, and His anticipation of the Cross. Joy and happiness are overshadowed by sorrow and grief—until the release of death. What follows for Jesus is joy, but for the apostles, it is overwhelming grief. Resurrection joy soon shines its light, pushing sorrow into the shadows. Sin has been dealt with, death has been conquered, and the chasm that lay between God and humanity—Jesus by His shed blood has sealed our redemption.
Good Friday marks the day when wrath and mercy met at the cross. That’s why Good Friday is so dark and so Good.
What would otherwise been remembered ‘bad’ or ‘horrific’ Friday had been transformed into ‘Good’ Friday because Christ arose on the first Sunday of the week. As the Gospel accounts go, “Christ is risen, hallelujah!”
The purpose in Christ’s suffering is no longer hidden—it filled the hearts of the first disciples with unspeakable joy. This is the Good News! In the end, life conquers death, joy triumphs over suffering. Joy, not sorrow, has the last word—and it will be the last word forever. Good Friday, then, is not a defeat. It is God’s magnificent display of God’s triumphant victory over sin, death and the grave! Hallelujah!
Reflection Questions:
1. Jesus’ last words were “It is finished.” What “debt” or burden in your life do you need to remind yourself is already paid for and completed by Him?
2. The author describes the cross as the place where “wrath and mercy met.” How does this perspective change how you view God’s love for you?
3. If “joy has the last word,” how can this eternal perspective help you navigate a “dark” or difficult season you might be facing right now?
Rev Jessamyn Tian has contributed much to improve the operational efficiency and enhance the business models of the churches she had been associated with during the past three decades. She has a heart for the elderly and would partner with like-minded friends to reach out to the infirmed and elderly who live on their own. She is exploring avenues where her skills sets can be leveraged to increase the capabilities of institutions that care for the elderly.
