Good Friday

Did you know …

 

Most schools close for Good Friday, which comes the same weekend as Easter Sunday for a great reason. Good Friday is the day Jesus, God’s Son, died on a cross. He rose from the dead three days later on Easter Sunday.

Lord’s Supper

Jesus ate his last supper Thursday evening. All twelve of the disciples ate this special meal with Him, including Peter, James, and John. Judas Iscariot was also there but left early to betray Jesus.

 

Garden of Gethsemane

Jesus took Peter, James, and John to pray at the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas betrayed Jesus there and soldiers arrested Him.

Pilate does not think Jesus is guilty

After the chief priests and elders decided Jesus deserved to die for claiming to be God’s Son, they took Him to Pilate, the Roman governor.

Pilate didn’t think Jesus deserved to die and he was right. Jesus had never sinned. The chief priests stirred up the crowd and shouted, “Crucify him!” Pilate gave in and ordered Jesus to be crucified.

Simon from Cyrene carries Jesus’ cross

The soldiers made Jesus carry a cross, but it was too heavy. Simon, a man from Cyrene, carried the cross for Jesus.

The Crucifixion

Two thousand years ago, Romans punished criminals by nailing them on a wooden cross until they died. They hung Jesus between two robbers.

Darkness in the middle of the day

Even though it was daytime, darkness fell for the last three hours Jesus hung on the cross. He knew God wanted Him to die for everyone’s sins, but it was still a hard thing to do.

When Jesus died, the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom.

Easter’s coming

It’s always sad to think about how Jesus suffered on the cross because He loved us so much. He died to make a way for us to live in Heaven with Him some day. The good news is that Jesus didn’t stay dead. Easter is a special day to Christians because we celebrate God raising Jesus from the dead.

If it’s Good Friday and you feel sad, just remember that Easter’s coming!

 

-Sandra Merville Hart

Resources

Women’s Devotional Bible 1: New International Version, Zondervan Publishing House, 1994.