Good Friday
Mark 15:22 – And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. And they tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it. And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each should take.
After Jesus is severely beaten and barely able to make it to the place of crucifixion (Golgotha – “The Place of the Skull”) He is nailed to a large beam of wood and placed on a cross. He is hung between two thieves, in the place where Barabbas the murderer should have hung. Late in the afternoon His spirit passes from His body and He dies.
The sky became dark. There was an earthquake so strong that rocks split in two and the gravestones in cemeteries broke. (Mark 15:33, Matthew 27:50-51) All of creation groaned in agony. The King of kings and the Lord of lords was dead. To the disciples and the world, it seemed as if Jesus was defeated and with it their dreams.
Activity: There is no fun activity today. Today is the most somber of the whole of the Easter season. It is a day of mourning. Jesus is dead. His mother and followers are in a state of despair and confusion. Take a moment to sit in that feeling. Some churches have a service today to observe the solemnity of Good (Holy) Friday. Consider singing a few hymns together as a family about Jesus’ time on the cross. Two good ones are The Old Rugged Cross and There is a Fountain. If you have any candles burning in the house, put them out as a sign of the death of a loved one.
