The holiday known as Good Friday is an oxymoron, commemorating a day that a Man is innocently put to death. It is only the events that occur three days later that make it good.
Good Friday is only good in hindsight.
The disciples didn't have the advantage we have now -- the advantage of hindsight.
The days between Jesus' death and His resurrection were no doubt the darkest and hopeless moments of their lives. Their Rabbi had been murdered. If they were found to be one of His followers, it was likely that they would meet that same fate. They devoted three years of their lives to Him, left everything they knew for Him, and He was dead. They were lost without Him. Even Peter -- the one who walked on water and cut off the ear of a solider -- denied Jesus.
I imagine the disciples gathered in someone's home, dissecting their Rabbi's teachings.
"Didn't He say, 'if you destroy this temple, I'll raise it up in three days'?"
"I think He said we wouldn't see Him for a while."
"Shhhh," one of them chided, "not so loud -- they'll hear you!"
I'm sure many of them were ready to give up. Maybe some of them did.
Good Friday is only good in hindsight.
Some of the women have gone to anoint the body of Jesus, but the eleven stayed behind. It was a quiet morning, as they were still reeling from the tragedy.
One of the Marys burst through the door, startling the small group of men.
"He's gone!" she exclaimed in between sobs. "He wasn't there!"
"What do you mean?" one of the eleven asked. "What happened?"
The other women entered with tear-stained cheeks, and they, too, could hardly explain what they saw. Finally, one of them proclaimed, "The tomb is empty!"
Silence filled the room. No one moved. One of the disciples laughed in disbelief. Peter and John ran to confirm what the women had told them.
All that met them was an empty tomb and folded graveclothes.
Like a spark igniting a flame, revelation lit in their minds. They remembered His words and rejoiced at their fresh understanding. Hope crashed over them in a wave and swept away their despair.
"Jesus is alive!"
What a bold claim. A daring, finger-in-your-face sort of statement. Dangerous. Dangerous because it meant that the movement the Pharisees and Sadducees sought to squash hadn't died with Jesus. No, not at all -- it had been resurrected with Him.
Good Friday is only good in hindsight.
We celebrate Good Friday and the events leading to it because of that claim: Jesus is alive. The world changed as the disciples proclaimed the risen Savior in all four corners of the earth. We celebrate Good Friday as the day Jesus defeated sin and death.
Good Friday is also a reminder that sometimes understanding will only come in hindsight. Jesus could have warned His disciples:
"Hey guys, just so you know, I'm going to be beaten beyond human recognition and murdered in the most excruciating way possible, but don't worry, I'll raise myself from the dead."
Honestly, what would have the disciples had done?
What would you do if someone told you every hardship you would endure? If God revealed His exact plan for you right now, from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, would you welcome it or run from it?
God sees all, from creation to the crucifixion to the second coming. He views every moment in our lives from a place beyond hindsight.
Rejoice this Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday that no matter what, God sees you and He has a plan to give you life more abundantly.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26 NKJV)
