They Belong Together Like A Horse And Carriage
In 1938, Frank Sinatra sang a song about commitment. The song was called Love and Marriage. The song expressed that love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage. It also claimed that you could not have one without the other.
Today, many might scoff at the song as old-fashioned and obsolete. Likewise, some scoff at Jesus’ death and resurrection as Christians celebrate Good Friday, April 7, and Easter Sunday, April 9. I pray that you will be sure that Good Friday and Easter Sunday belong together. Jesus’ death on the cross on Good Friday resulted in His Resurrection to eternal life on Easter Sunday. The cross plus the resurrection equals salvation for sinners.
Good Friday is about the sting of death on Jesus. Jesus obeyed the law perfectly for us. He fulfilled the law for us. He was willing to give to God his Father his righteousness for us and suffer the punishment of our sins in our place on the cross. Jesus was committed to enduring pain and punishment beyond measure for each of us as sinners.
Psalm 22 was written by David, but it paints a picture of what Jesus experienced during his crucifixion. Jesus was considered a worm, not a man, in his arrest, trials, lashes, crown of thorns, and suffering on the cross between two criminals.
He was scorned and despised, mocked, and insulted by the people. They scoffed, “He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him.” A band of evil men encircled him. They pierced his hands and feet. They cast lots for his garments. Indeed as the psalm indicates, Jesus was poured out like water, and all his bones felt out joint while nailed to the cross. His heart melted away like wax in his suffering until his death. (Psalm 22:6-8,16,18,14)
Isaiah 53 reminds us that the Lord laid on his suffering servant (Jesus) the iniquity of us all. He was pierced and crushed for our transgressions. However, His punishment brought us peace in that by his wounds; we are healed.
Jesus suffered on the cross until all was accomplished so that the Scripture was fulfilled; then Jesus said,
“I am thirsty.” He was given a drink of wine vinegar, and after the drink, he proclaimed, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:28-30)
The Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, so the soldiers broke the legs of the other men still dying on the cross to speed up their death. But Jesus was dead, so one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. (John 19:26-34)
Joseph of Arimathea placed the body of Jesus in his own new tomb cut out of rock. He rolled a large stone in front of the tomb’s entrance. The Jews went to Pilate and asked for the vault to be secured. The soldiers went and sealed the tomb door and posted a guard there.
The tomb couldn’t hold Jesus. Jesus Christ is God, and He is risen indeed. Christians believe in the risen Christ who promises, “Because I live, you shall live also.” (John 14:19 and John 11:25). Good Friday and Easter Sunday are at the heart of our Christian faith.
