Good Friday

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6 (ESV)

Good Friday is a religious observance primarily by the Church, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary.

Observed on the Friday of Holy Week, Christians all around the globe gather and recapitulate what's been dubbed "The Seven Last Words" or "The Seven Last Sayings" uttered by Jesus, as preserved in the gospel writings, during the final and agonizing 6 hours of his life on the cross from approximately 9 AM to 3 PM.

Conveyed within these last seven sayings are spiritual principles germane to understanding the message of the gospel. In these seven sayings, we find the purpose and power of the gospel; we visit the scene and are allowed to hear the conversation and conversion of a criminal; we learn of a familial connection cemented by this cross; we hear the tortured cry of one cursed for another; we are given confidence in the fulfillment of Scripture; we hear the acclamation of a victor; and we hear the unshakeable confidence of a surrendered sovereign soul.

Take a moment to reflect back almost 2000 years ago to the precursor of the resurrection, to the place of reconciliation and redemption, and hear the voice from the cross. Click link to Seminary Now videos on the Last Seven Sayings of Christ on the Cross. These videos offer insight from well-respected New Testament scholars.

1. "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34) | https://youtu.be/Shq_L4KMtwA?si=uUfbnx5jk74OSCWk
2. "This day you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43) | https://youtu.be/5GVbEFnJXyk?si=Y_DV9sXvnyuqm3WI
3. "Woman, here is your son...[John] here is your mother." (John 19:26-27) | https://youtu.be/Lc1AcGTVxWc?si=S0VsmBFnPw4pO4r8
4. "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34; Matthew 27:46) | https://youtu.be/BjJ4_x6xHBU?si=FtH6jJwZWQWuNiA8
5. "I am thirsty." (John 19:28) | https://youtu.be/c_b3kA1xnFY?si=2oGXhDqBhrLsWkFp
6. "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." (Luke 23:46) | https://youtu.be/Dej8W09hUcE?si=CMJPnSBHaNN3P7mD
7. "It is finished." (John 19:30) | https://youtu.be/HkYGEC8ktZo?si=w95DwFLE-XcBGiTO                                                                                                                                                                                  Without the cross there is no Christianity. The preaching of the cross and the death of Christ is the center of the Christian gospel message.

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 1 Cor 1:23-24 (KJV)

Copyright © 2024 Johnson Beaven III. All Rights Reserved.

Johnson Beaven III is Principal of Johnson Beaven III Ministries LLC. He serves in the Church Of God In Christ (COGIC) as Executive Secretary and Director of Education in the International Department of Evangelism, and Chairman of District Superintendents in the Indiana North Central Jurisdiction. He's also a religion columnist for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. He is a former pastor, local site coordinator and instructor for the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) Certificate in Theology Program. For information, check Linktree. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @jbeaven and @jbiiiministries.

Victory is Possible

 

 

“Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God…” Luke 8:1 (ESV)

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:4-5 (ESV)

The Nike groundbreaking “Just Do It” television advertisements in the late 1980s highlighted sports superstars showcasing their stellar skills that gave them the edge in gaining the most victories in the field of athletics. The message communicated in these advertisements is you can win and be victorious, so just do it. "Just Do It" eventually became more than just a slogan. It is a mindset for achievement in life.

 

On the field of everyday life, many do not always cross the finish line or hit the game winning shot. For many people, victory is something only witnessed at sports events of someone else being victorious. It is only a thought, an elusive idea; never an actual, personal experience.

 

Victory is something God wants, and has made possible, for everyone to experience. Its possibility is through what is called “The Gospel.” The gospel is most unique because of what it is—good news.

 

But what makes the gospel good news? The gospel is good news declaring the message of the cross. As one travels through the tapestry of the grace of God, one experiences the power of the message of the cross. The apostle Paul makes the bold assertion that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16), and rightly so because it adequately handles that which hurts and harms humanity the most, preventing victory—sin. Thus, the gospel in its power carries the message of the cross, which is a message of forgiveness, peace, grace, change, love, victory, and hope.

 

One of the great messages communicated through the cross is the message of victory. The gospel is good news because in it God, through Christ, gives us “the victory” we could not win for ourselves and on our own (1 John 5:4; 2 Cor. 2:14).

Victory is something God wants everyone to experience and has made it possible through Jesus Christ.

The words overcome and victory in 1 John 5:4-5 are the same Greek term nike. The term has various nuances: 1) to conquer, vanquish, or subdue something in life; 2) to prevail or overpower someone in battle; 3) to overcome or come off superior in a judicial sense of legal action. Nike simply means “to win, to have victory.” In the Old Testament, explicit victories were won over physical forces. In the New Testament, victories gained through Christ are against the immaterial, unseen yet real entities that entangle humanity.

 

What victories are guaranteed for persons who accept and believe that Jesus is the Son of God? What victories has Christ won for us wherein we experience the good news of the gospel?

Help for the Hope of Haiti

Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. Mark 13:8 (NLT)

By now you have heard, read, and seen photos of the devastation in Haiti by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck this past Tuesday. The capital Port-au-Prince is flatten and destroyed beyond imagination. Blood-stained sheets and cardboards cover bodies piled in the streets. Seemingly every standing image of help has been demolished; hospitals, schools, orphanages, governmental structures, even the U.N. Headquarters. What was once called a home for some three million Haitians no longer exists. One CNN report stated the devastation equals the effect of several nuclear bombs. The Red Cross estimates over 45,000 death toll. Last evening I spoke with a Haitian ministerial colleague who has received report that some of his family members survived but yet not a word on three siblings. He had plans for making a trip to Haiti on January 25th prior to the earthquake, and still intends to if permissible. Pray that he and his team are afforded opportunity to go to offer assistance.

In light of the life-shattering effects of this earthquake or any natural disaster, one may wonder, “Where is God in all this (if there is a God)?”...“What does God have to say about this (if anything)?”..."What can I do in response to this?" These questions pervade the mind and heart in moments like this. In our quest to find answers we often turn to theologians. I appreciated the article by Dr. Albert Mohler, especially in light of the remarks made by Rev. Pat Robertson regarding a possible cause of this catastrophic calamity. Let me share three basic thoughts.