Thought for GOOD FRIDAY

 *A Reflection on Good Friday !*

 

*He suffered on our behalf !* 

In a tribe of Indians, someone was stealing chickens. The chief declared that, if caught, the offender would receive 10 lashes. When the stealing continued, he raised it to 20 lashes. Still the chickens methodically disappeared. In anger, the chief raised the sentence to 100 lashes--a sure sentence of death.

The thief was finally caught. But the chief faced a terrible dilemma. The thief was his own mother! When the day of penalty came, the whole tribe gathered. Would the chief's love override his justice? The crowd gasped when he ordered his mother to be tied to the whipping post. The chief removed his shirt, revealing his powerful stature, and took the whip in hand. But instead of raising it to strike the first blow, he handed it to a strong, young brave at his side. Slowly the chief walked over to his mother and wrapped his massive arms around her in an engulfing embrace. Then he ordered the brave to give him the 100 lashes.

2000 years ago, Jesus suffered on our behalf not with just 100 lashes but He carried the burden of the sins of the world. Our sins were transferred to Jesus’ account, and He bore the punishment we deserved.

He was mocked and abused by Roman soldiers who flogged Jesus with a whip, drove a crown of thorns into His scalp, beat His head with sticks and mockingly pretended to worship Him. The flogging alone—which would have involved leather cords with pieces of lead or bone attached—would have drained much of Jesus’ blood.

Jesus could have called on angels to stop His torture—but He chose to endure the pain because He loved us!

He was crucified naked between two thieves like a criminal. Jesus endured the ultimate shame. What's more, He hung on that crude cross next to two men who had been convicted of crimes—while He was completely innocent.

He tasted death for all. This is the most horrible reality of the cross. Christ did not die metaphorically or symbolically. He died literally. The Son of God, who had never sinned—and who was least deserving of death. He died on our behalf so that  we could have life.