The Day of Reconciliation
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As we approach the Lord’s table tonight, on Good Friday, it is appropriate for us to recall reasons why we call this day Good Friday.
Good Friday is good because it commemorates the Day of Reconciliation.
Before Good Friday, sinners, like us, were still enemies of God due to our sin.
There was nothing that we could do to change this.
We were absolutely powerless to change our relationship to God.
Because of our state, as enemies of God and sinners continually offending His holiness, the only natural recourse was for God to pour out His wrath and justice on us.
But then, Good Friday...
Let’s quickly look at Romans 5:6-11 to gain a better appreciation for this Day of Reconciliation...
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Weak: unable to fix our problem with God…
The right time: Good Friday
Ungodly: showing just how unworthy we were for Christ to come to us.
7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—
Scarcely die for a righteous person: It’s very rare, but possible, for someone to give up their life for someone who deserves to be spared.
For a good person one would dare even to die: Its even rarer for someone to give up their life for someone, one could argue, is worth saving.
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
But God: God operates on a whole different dimension of thinking and doing.
Shows his love: It took an infinite well of love for God to do what we are about to here.
While we were still sinners: We don’t even come close to being righteous or good. We are completely the opposite. Sin is evil and we were sinners. We were evil.
Christ died for us: Jesus, who is both righteous and good, traded places with us wretched, pitiful, and evil people. We deserved what Jesus received while Jesus alone deserves what we receive.
9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood: Since it is true that Jesus shed his blood so that we wouldn’t have to, and because of this, we are not made righteous (justified), something else has to be true too...
Much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God: We will definitely be spared from the wrath of God that is due to all sinners. The blood of Christ shed on that Good Friday is our guarantee that we will not taste one drip from the cup of God’s wrath.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
10: If God gives his enemies reconciliation through His Son’s death, surely, he will grant eternal life to His friends!
11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
With these things true, and all of them true through Christ, we rejoice in God!
Good Friday is good because it commemorates the Day of Reconciliation.
The Day of Reconciliation enables us to sit at the table together.
The Day of Reconciliation has made this table a table for friends who were once enemies.
This table reminds us of the great cost that both God the Father and Jesus the Son paid for our access to it.
1 Corinthians 11:23b (ESV)
23bThe Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”