When I was in my early teens, our local radio station did something every Good Friday that now seems unbelievable.
For 15 minutes – from 3:00 to 3:15 in the afternoon – they did an audio narration of the crucifixion of Jesus as if seen by an eyewitness.
Up to that time, I didn’t know much about Good Friday. I knew that Jesus died on a Friday, but the churches I attended didn’t celebrate that day, focusing all their efforts on Easter instead.
But that annual radio broadcast really brought it home for me.
Most of us are aware of the events of Good Friday … but how about its meaning?
The meaning of Good Friday is found in my favorite verse: 2 Corinthians 5:21. Paul writes:
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
At a point in time, God the Father made God the Son something He was not.
He made Him sin.
The Son incarnate became Sin incarnate.
When did that happen? On the cross … on Good Friday.
I cannot imagine what it’s like to become sin.
There are sins I know about … sins I’ve read about, or seen depicted in movies … but I don’t even want to think about them.
There are sins I’ve committed that I never want to think about again.
There are sins I’ve been tempted to commit but haven’t … sins that nearly frighten me because of their repercussions.
But on that cross, Jesus became sin itself.
He became pride. He became lust. He became slander. He became murder.
He became violence, and rape, and betrayal, and abuse … every sin you can think of.
No wonder Jesus felt forsaken by His Father. No wonder the Father turned His back on His Son.
Why did Jesus do this? Paul tells us:
“… that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
The Son became sin that we might become righteous.
How does that happen?
If we admit our sinfulness to God … and trust Christ’s work on the cross for us … we gain divine righteousness.
Our sin … for His righteousness.
It’s the best deal in the universe.
I made that deal when I was six years old. With my father kneeling beside me, I told Jesus that I was a sinner. I asked His Son to become my Savior.
He did.
It’s the best deal I’ve ever made.
It cost me nothing. It cost Jesus everything.
This is why we call the Friday before Jesus died Good Friday.
It initially looked like Very Bad Friday … until the events of three days later took place.
It’s only Good Friday in retrospect.
It’s why I sing with my brothers and sisters worldwide:
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present all too small,
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Restoring Kingdom Builders 
Reading this reflection it struck me that you wondered at what it might mean to become sin as you put it because given things you have shared of your experiences and your passion around the kind of mistreatment that clergy frequently face. I mean to say, might it not be that part of what it could mean to become another person’s sin is quite alot like what goes on when the target of mobbing or bullying behavior.
If you have never read it I would recomend you check out an interesting book called “I Saw Satan Falling Like Lightning.” It is unusual but quite interesting in how it explores the work of Christ on the Cross. I remember finding it suprisingly helpfull in breathing into various doctrinal formulations some vital clarity. The author is a respected sociologist and part of what the book sets out, after delving into Christian doctrine and certain scriptural teachings, is an apology for Christian claims about the unique and saving work of Christ.
Thanks for sharing these thoughts and may you have a joyous Easter.
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Thanks for your comments and ideas. Sounds like an interesting book!
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