“Happy Good Friday!”

“Happy Good Friday!”(II Cor. 5:14-21).
There are some Holy Week jokes making their rounds, like these ones: “This is Judas week…” “Those who need a loan should contact Judas because he has just received cash for betraying Jesus…” Etc! These are expensive jokes.
A post that led me to deeper reflection came from one of my great grandsons, Gangbobga Julius. He posted:“This is the week that pastors turn the redemption story into a pitiful story and make Christians to weep and follow Jesus out of Pity.” It shouldn’t be so!
The majority of those who have done theology may attest that during their theological orientation the issue came up whether Judas does not deserve God’s forgiveness? What exactly did Judas do wrongly? Jesus had to die; not like any ordinary death. His death had to be sacrificial.
There is no reason why we should follow this week whipping sentiments against Judas. After all we call today “Good Friday.” To call the day of the death of a benefactor, “good” is to say we do not regret that he died. Does this make us better than Judas! Not at all!
So let us rejoice that it is Good Friday! A day on which a man laid down his life in obedience to the Father’s will. It couldn’t have been otherwise!
He died that we may become new creations; abandoning the old and become renewed. This was to teach us that freewill is not a license to choose only what is motivated by inate evil inclinations.
Today Jesus died to reconcile us to the Father from whom we have been alienated through sin and death. Therefore, let it no longer be so much about how he died but why he died.
Having reconciled us with God, God through him has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
“We are thetefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Therefore my friend, let us celebrate “Good Friday for showing us this sacrificial love through the death of God’s only begotten Son. Let us take seriously the ministry of reconciliation that is a rich legacy bequeathed to us. And let us be ambassadors of Christ in this great ministry of reconciliation, so that wherever there is tension or conflict we should stand out as solutions and not part of the problem!
Good Friday prayer: Holy Spirit help us to be veritable ambassadors of Christ especially in the ministry of reconciliation. Amen!
Happy and blessed Good Friday! Peace be with you!