From the Beginning
Some of the best endings in novels or movies are when there is a reveal. It’s especially captivating when the audience can see that the reveal was hinted at all along, like the characters or director or writer had it all planned from the beginning. On this Good Friday, we Christians know that God had this planned from the beginning and Jesus was in agreement with God’s will, God’s rescue plan for creation.
“Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.’" (Genesis 1:26)
The plural pronoun “us” is our first evidence of the Trinity. This isn’t one Being speaking to Himself. This is the Trinity—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—deciding to create humans, knowing they would fall. It’s then after that fall that we read the first prophecy of Jesus and the crucifixion.
“Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.’” (Genesis 3:14-15)
The He is Jesus; the serpent represents Satan; the striking of the offspring’s heel is the crucifixion; the crushing of the serpent’s head is Jesus’ resurrection. God then established the rule, which will follow for all time, that blood needs to be shed to cover sin.
“And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.” (Genesis 3:21)
The first act of God after sin enters the world is to sacrifice an animal and make clothing from it to cover Adam and Eve’s shame. This would continue until the Good Friday that we celebrate and remember today when Jesus would make the final sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. The entire Bible is the story of God’s love for us and His perfect plan to reconcile us to Himself through the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sins. He had this all planned from the beginning.
“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.” (Ephesians 1:4)
Because of Good Friday we no longer have to sacrifice animals to pay for our sin. We no longer have to go through a high priest to talk to the Lord. Jesus is our High Priest, our perfect lamb, the perfect sacrifice.
“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.” (1 Peter 1:18-20)
“Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18)
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)
God had this planned from the beginning. Nothing we do will ever change His plans or His love for us. As we remember this plan in action, the reason we call this Friday “Good,” let us remember that God had this planned from the beginning and Jesus is our perfect example of agreement and obedience with the Father’s will. Keep your eyes focused on the cross today, and on Sunday, turn your focus to the empty tomb.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
