Day 8: Good Friday

Dogwood Series: No. 8

Again He asked them, “Who is it you want?”

They said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

“I told you that I am He,” Jesus said.

If you are looking for me, then let these men go.”

This happened so that the words He had spoken

would be fulfilled:

“I have not lost one of those You gave Me.”

John 18:7-9

For the life of me, I have never understood why this day is called Good Friday.  There was nothing “good” that happened on this day in Christ’s life. Because the Jewish day was reckoned from sundown to sundown, this Friday included Jesus’ betrayal by Judas and arrest in the garden, the desertion of the disciples, a false trial before the religious leaders, Peter’s denial, trials before Pilate and Herod, beatings and mockery, condemnation, the carrying of His own cross down the Via Dolorosa to “The Place of the Skull,” and His crucifixion with two other prisoners.

For some unknown reason, on this day of the Feast it was customary for Pilate to release a prisoner at the request of the people.  One would assume that the individual released would be someone, such as a politician, who was popular with the people, or perhaps someone wrongly accused, or someone needing medical clemency.  Pilate, desperately wanting a way to release Jesus, offered them the choice of Christ, or a murderous insurrectionist named Barabbas.  The teacher or the rabble-rouser.  The healer or the killer.  

Pilate recognized the political game afoot, but by this point, the religious leaders held all the cards.  Inciting the crowd to near riot, the priests played the puppeteers, demanding the crowd to call for Barabbas instead of “the King of the Jews.”  Those who watched His life, listened to His teaching, saw His healings, and shouted “Hosanna to the Son of David,” to their Messiah and king, now screamed “Crucify Him!”

“Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” 

asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy 

that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.  

 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd 

to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.   

“What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” 

Pilate asked them.

“Crucify him!”

“Why? What crime has he committed?”

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them.  

 He had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.

Mark 15:9-15

The activities surrounding Jesus life on Friday are found in 

Matthew 26:47-27:66; Mark 14:43-15:47; Luke 22:47-23:56; John 18:1-19:37