©iStockphoto.com/wwing
In today’s society I have noticed that a lot of the meanings behind public holidays is not known and a lot of commercialisation has taken over.For example Easter. People buy and give cards and Easter eggs, but most will not know why Easter eggs are given or the true meaning behind Easter. Tomorrow will be ‘Good Friday’, and most people will again not knowing the true meaning behind it. The following information I took from Wikipedia as I found it to be the best definition and explanation for you my readers:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday
Good Friday is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of Passover. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Black Friday, or Easter Friday, though the latter properly refers to the Friday in Easter week.
Based on the details of the Canonical gospels, the Crucifixion of Jesus was most likely to have been on a Friday (the day before the Sabbath) (John 19:42). The estimated year of the Crucifixion is AD 33, by two different groups, and originally as AD 34 by Isaac Newton via the differences between the Biblical and Julian calendars and the crescent of the moon. A third method, using a completely different astronomical approach based on a lunar Crucifixion darkness and eclipse model (consistent with Apostle Peter’s reference to a “moon of blood” in Acts 2:20), points to Friday, 3 April AD 33.
Good Friday is a widely-instituted legal holiday in many national governments around the world, including in most Western countries as well as in 12 U.S. states. Some governments have laws prohibiting certain acts that are seen as contrasting the solemn nature of the day.
Main articles: Passion (Christianity), Crucifixion of Jesus, and Sayings of Jesus on the cross
The Judas Kiss by Gustave Doré, 1866
According to the accounts in the Gospels, the Temple Guards, guided by Jesus’ disciple Judas Iscariot, arrested Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas received money (30 pieces of silver) (Matthew 26:14–16) for betraying Jesus and told the guards that whomever he kisses is the one they are to arrest. Following his arrest, Jesus was brought to the house of Annas, the father-in-law of the high priest, Caiaphas. There he was interrogated with little result and sent bound to Caiaphas the high priest where the Sanhedrin had assembled (John 18:1–24).
Conflicting testimony against Jesus was brought forth by many witnesses, to which Jesus answered nothing. Finally the high priest adjured Jesus to respond under solemn oath, saying “I adjure you, by the Living God, to tell us, are you the Anointed One, the Son of God?” Jesus testified ambiguously, “You have said it, and in time you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty, coming on the clouds of Heaven.” The high priest condemned Jesus for blasphemy, and the Sanhedrin concurred with a sentence of death (Matthew 26:57–66). Peter, waiting in the courtyard, also denied Jesus three times to bystanders while the interrogations were proceeding just as Jesus had predicted.
A Good Friday procession in Mumbai by Indian Roman Catholics, depicting the Way of the Cross
In the morning, the whole assembly brought Jesus to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate under charges of subverting the nation, opposing taxes to Caesar, and making himself a king (Luke 23:1–2). Pilate authorised the Jewish leaders to judge Jesus according to their own law and execute sentencing; however, the Jewish leaders replied that they were not allowed by the Romans to carry out a sentence of death (John 18:31).
Pilate questioned Jesus and told the assembly that there was no basis for sentencing. Upon learning that Jesus was from Galilee, Pilate referred the case to the ruler of Galilee, King Herod, who was in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. Herod questioned Jesus but received no answer; Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate. Pilate told the assembly that neither he nor Herod found guilt in Jesus; Pilate resolved to have Jesus whipped and released (Luke 23:3–16). Under the guidance of the chief priests, the crowd asked for Barabbas, who had been imprisoned for committing murder during an insurrection. Pilate asked what they would have him do with Jesus, and they demanded, “Crucify him” (Mark 15:6–14). Pilate’s wife had seen Jesus in a dream earlier that day, and she forewarned Pilate to “have nothing to do with this righteous man” (Matthew 27:19). Pilate had Jesus flogged and then brought him out to the crowd to release him. The chief priests informed Pilate of a new charge, demanding Jesus be sentenced to death “because he claimed to be God’s son.” This possibility filled Pilate with fear, and he brought Jesus back inside the palace and demanded to know from where he came (John 19:1–9).
Antonio Ciseri’s depiction of Ecce Homo with Jesus and Pontius Pilate, 19th century
Coming before the crowd one last time, Pilate declared Jesus innocent and washed his own hands in water to show he has no part in this condemnation. Nevertheless, Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified in order to forestall a riot (Matthew 27:24–26) and ultimately to keep his job. The sentence written was “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” Jesus carried his cross to the site of execution (assisted by Simon of Cyrene), called the place of the Skull, or “Golgotha” in Hebrew and in Latin “Calvary”. There he was crucified along with two criminals (John 19:17–22).
Jesus agonised on the cross for six hours. During his last 3 hours on the cross, from noon to 3 pm, darkness fell over the whole land.[12] With a loud cry, Jesus gave up his spirit. There was an earthquake, tombs broke open, and the curtain in the Temple was torn from top to bottom. The centurion on guard at the site of crucifixion declared, “Truly this was God’s Son!” (Matthew 27:45–54)
Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin and secret follower of Jesus, who had not consented to his condemnation, goes to Pilate to request the body of Jesus (Luke 23:50–52). Another secret follower of Jesus and member of the Sanhedrin named Nicodemus brought about a hundred pound weight mixture of spices and helped wrap the body of Christ (John 19:39–40). Pilate asks confirmation from the centurion whether Jesus is dead (Mark 15:44). A soldier pierced the side of Jesus with a lance causing blood and water to flow out (John 19:34), and the centurion informs Pilate that Jesus is dead (Mark 15:45).
Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’ body, wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and placed it in his own new tomb that had been carved in the rock (Matthew 27:59–60) in a garden near the site of crucifixion. Nicodemus (John 3:1) also brought 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes, and placed them in the linen with the body, in keeping with Jewish burial customs (John 19:39–40). They rolled a large rock over the entrance of the tomb (Matthew 27:60). Then they returned home and rested, because Shabbat had begun at sunset (Luke 23:54–56). Matt. 28:1 “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb”. i.e. “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week,…….”. “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said……….”.(Matt. 28:6) On the third day, which is now known as Easter Sunday (or Pascha), Jesus rose from the dead.
If you want to read more about the life and death of Jesus, you can go to:
If you want to give your life to Christ and accept him as your Lord and Saviour, I would recommend you continue reading and follow the following two steps. These were taken from:
STEP 1
(i) Understand why you need to be saved – Sin is anything that displeases God and separates us from Him. The payment we make for our sins is spiritual death – permanent separation from God. Understand that every human being is born a sinner because of the sin of Adam and Eve, and that we all continued to sin at some point in our lives. Romans 5:12 says that Adam’s spiritual death was passed down to all of humanity. Adam and Eve would have lived forever had they not sinned. This means we are ALL born spiritually dead; born with a fallen nature, and a natural tendency to sin. This is why each person MUST be born-again!
Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12)
For since death (spiritual and physical) came through a man [Adam], the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man [Jesus Christ] (1 Corinthians 15:21)
There is the ‘physical birth’ and the ‘spiritual birth’. The term “born-again” means being spiritually born a second time. The only way to be reconciled to God and have eternal life is to be born-again.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God,” (John 3:3).
(ii) Understand why Jesus Christ is our LORD and SAVIOUR – We are unable to please a perfect God by our own strength and morality. However, God sent His only begotten son, Jesus Christ to us. Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins, rose up from the dead, and made it possible for us to be saved. Jesus is the Mediator between God and man. We can only make things right with God, through Him.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23)
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16-17 – NIV)
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 – NIV)
The salvation of Jesus Christ is a gift we receive by faith (Romans. 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9). When we accept Jesus Christ, we are accepting His sacrifice for our sins by faith. Thereafter, the Holy Spirit dwells within us (Ephesians 1:13-14). The Holy Spirit helps us to live holy by convicting us of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8), thereby helping us to seek to please God and avoid sin. His living in us is a natural result of being saved.
(iii) Admit that you are a sinner – This is a prerequisite to accepting Jesus Christ. To receive Him into our hearts, we need to first acknowledge that we are sinners, and that we are incapable of saving ourselves or pleasing God in any way. Not even our good deeds can make us righteous in the eyes of God, without Christ! It is important to acknowledge that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins.
“Righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus”. (Romans 3:22-23)
STEP 2
The big decision is whether or not you will accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.
(i) Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour – Say a prayer to God, and really mean it. Here is an example prayer:
“Dear Lord, I confess that I am a sinner and separated from You because of my sins. I am truly sorry, and now want to forsake my sinful life”.
“I believe that your son, Jesus, died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, and is alive. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, and invite Him to reign in my heart from this day forward. Thank you Jesus for dying for my sins, and giving me Eternal Life, Amen”.
The Bible says:
If you confess with your mouth that “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith, and are saved (Romans 10:9-10).
If you have just said the prayer of salvation above from your heart, I rejoice with you, because you are now a child of God.
You can sing this song to Jesus Christ from the bottom of your heart (this is optional, but prophetic):
‘I Surrender All’ (with lyrics) >>>>–
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVUnFsDuh-w
When Steps 1 & 2 are taken, God then calls you His child:
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,” (John 1:12).
Congratulations! You are now part of the family of God, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. (Colossians 1:12); a Royal Priesthood, the Chosen of the LORD
I AM SAVED! WHAT NEXT?
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, all does not end with the short prayer of salvation. We begin to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. It is important to emphasize here that we do not work FOR salvation, but do need to work it OUT. The Holy Spirit enables us do this, with our cooperation. Cetain things are required to work out your salvation. They enable you to maintain your relationship with the Lord, and allow Him to be the Pillar of your life. What are they?
(i) Forgive yourself – You are now a new creature in Christ. Believe that God loves you; He has shown this by giving up His only son to die in lieu of punishment for your sins, as sacrifice for all you have done wrong.
“Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things passed away; behold, new things have come,” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
‘Old things’ here are the sinful passions and desires that we had. Our enslavement to them is broken when we are born again. Once we are born again, we are no longer our own; the Holy Spirit dwells within us.
(ii) Commit to a Lifestyle of Total Repentance – Repentance is the decision to turn away from sin, live right, and fully obey God. Once you are determined to do this, all things start falling into place. If you still have a hard time with this concept, trust Jesus Christ as Lord over your life, and leave the rest to the Holy Spirit. Commitment is what the Lord is looking for (the Holy Spirit will help you run the Christian race with zeal if you are determined to live in obedience).
(iii) Get a Bible and Spend Time with God – Spend time with God each day. Initially, it does not have to be for a long period of time. As you grow spiritually, you will find that the time you spend with Him becomes longer. Develop the daily habit of praying to Him and reading His Word. Ask Him to increase your faith and your understanding of the Bible. If you don’t have a bible, here are links to online bibles. You can make use of them in the meantime:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://biblecc.com/
http://bible.org/
(iv) Find a Bible-Believing Church – It is imperative that you are fed with spiritual food (Word and doctrine), so you can grow in the Lord. Find a local church where you can worship God and grow spiritually.
(v) Seek fellowship with other followers of Jesus – Develop a group of believing friends to answer your questions and support you.
(vi) Get baptised in accordance with the New Testament: Get baptized by immersion in water, as commanded by Jesus Christ. Through baptism, we identify with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In a nutshell, it signifies the death and burial of our sinful nature, and our resurrection as a forgiven Christian through faith in Jesus Christ (Colossians. 2:12-13).
Water Baptism is a public testimony which should be preceded by repentance. When being baptised, we stand before witnesses confessing our identification with the Lord. It also means we are placing our selfishness, pride, past and all of our possessions before the Lord, and giving the control of our lives over to Him. Your Pastor/Spiritual Leader will touch more on this.
(vii) Work for the Lord – Be a Witness; tell someone else about your new faith in Christ. Tell them about Christ. There is a note titled “ALL ABOUT OUR FATHER’S BUSINESS (Soul Winning/Evangelism Tips)” on my Facebook Page. Feel free to refer to it: http://www.facebook.com/IthankGod#!/note.php?note_id=169342596413686
Read your Bible every day; Pray at all times (morning, afternoon, night; always); Praise and Worship God daily, Live Holy! Live Holy! Live Holy! Amen.
ONE MORE THING!
[Beginning Bible Reading Guide for New Believers]
It is important that you read your bible at least once a day, to be grounded in the teachings of Christ. Reading your Bible also helps you live a victorious life as a Christian. In it also, you will find the promises of God to you, and so much more. The Bible helps you stand firm when the devil tries to whisper his lies to you and lure you into sin, and a life of misery that you have just escaped. You will also find out that the Bible is a powerful weapon that every victorious believer holds on to, which is why it is called ‘the Sword of the Spirit’ (Ephesians 6:17).
Here is a suggested order of reading for a new believer who needs to start to read and understand the Bible. There are 66 Books in the Holy Bible to be covered, but this plan will get you started:
· The Gospel of John
· The Gospel of Matthew
· The Gospel of Mark
· I John
· II John
· III John
· Genesis
· Ephesians
· Galatians
· The Gospel of Luke
· I Corinthians
· II Corinthians
· Romans
· Proverbs
· Psalms
An important point about studying the Bible, is not to be in a hurry. It is God the Father who reveals spiritual knowledge through the Holy Spirit. Meditate on what you have read, and pray for the Holy Spirit to give you knowledge and understanding. Biblical Knowledge is not gained by memorisation or academic knowledge. Remember, when you surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit began to dwell within you. Ask Him to give you knowledge and understanding; He will grant your request.
Yours Firmly in His Grip,
ReachingSouls ForChrist (Deborah Toyin O’Longe)
https://www.facebook.com/#!/IthankGod
BobOnLife 