Good Friday

The skunk cabbage beside the path always catches my eye this time of year
. . . a rare beauty that stands out in the aftermath of winter,
making me wonder why it's called by such a name.

Just as we have probably all wondered why this day is called Good Friday.
The day Jesus was wrongfully accused and crucified.
What is good about it?

In the Precepts Class I've been attending
we are studying the first books of Genesis.
The way it all began is recorded right there . . .
how God created a perfect world . . .
how God gave man the ability to choose
and also bear the effect of choice.
From the very beginning He said that the consequence of sin would be death.
when Adan and Eve sinned,
 God covered their shame with the skins of an animal.
In the Old Testament, sin was atoned for by sacrificing a perfect lamb,
all to point to the real Lamb God would provide one day.
This opened my eyes in a new way as to why
salvation through the death of Gods' Son became necessary.
God, who is just, could not go back on His word,
but because He loves us so  much,
He allowed Jesus to pay the debt for our sins.
Only Jesus, because He is God,  could die and rise to live again,
breaking the power of death over sin.
That is what makes this a Good Friday.


O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthian 15:55 - 57