A few Good Friday thoughts

1.   Luke 23:43 "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."

This was to one of the criminals who were crucified with Christ.

But, Mathew records that (Mat 27:44) that both the rebels insulted Christ.

This is not a contradiction. Jesus was hung on the cross for 6 hours and there should have been many other events not recorded by all the four gospel writers. We should translate this as one rebel at first insulted Christ and then repented after seeing Christ.

The lesson we learn here is that a person has hope of forgiveness and salvation even minutes before his death. This person was bad enough to be crucified. He was bad enough to insult Christ during the worst time of Christ. But… he got saved.

However lost we are and convicted we are, we have hope through Christ.

2.   John 19:28 “I am thirsty”.

This is the only event in whole lifetime of Christ, it is recorded that Christ asked men a favor for himself. Yes, He is divine and almighty, but in the cross, he was very much human and separated and forsaken by God the father.

His physical conditions became very weak at that time causing him dehydrate and was pushed to this state.

Many physicians say that Christ did not die due to bleeding; He died due to suffocation as his chest was so pressed as the whole weight was on the hands.

God Almighty took all this discrimination, pain and death so that we could be saved.

3.   All the four gospels do not elaborate the crucifixion or the pains Christ had, they just say “He was crucified”. But, Peter’s denial is so elaborated. The criminal’s salvation is elaborated. The Holy Spirit influenced the writers to write so. This shows a wonderful example of Christ being unselfish and not focusing on Himself or the price He paid. But they focus on the result i.e. “Salvation” and our guidelines to attain that.

We should follow this example, but not forget the price He paid.