The DJ and Good Friday…

Originally posted on March 21, 2008 – by Andre Piet

Yesterday I heard a DJ chatting (for that was all it was) on a pop radio station about the meaning of Good Friday. He himself had a vague Catholic background, he said, and he asked listeners to text him to let him know what the idea behind Good Friday is. What became apparent: most of them had not even heard the bell ring… In the end there turned out to be one listener who texted that Jesus had died on Good Friday so that our sins could be forgiven. OK… said the DJ, but from his voice it could be heard that it was still not clear to him.

I am not telling this to indicate how dire the state of ABC-level knowledge of Biblical matters is, although the ignorance in that area can indeed hardly be exaggerated. No, I am telling it because precisely the ‘good’ answer triggered me: Jesus died so that our sins could be forgiven… Is that so??
Jesus indeed died for our sins — but NOT because God otherwise would not be able to forgive us. Jesus died in order to be able to rise and to bring imperishable Life to light, and thus to deliver us from sin!

Jesus did not die to get something done with God! As if a price had to be paid to God. Jesus indeed paid a price (and what a price!), but not to Gód, rather to what held us captive: death. In order that we might be bought free from it. He ‘paid’ with His blood so that in His resurrection He might liberate humanity from sin and death.

More on this:
ransom or debt payment?

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