Why is Good Friday good?

   Yesterday afternoon I was driving to a park to go for a walk.  Turning on the radio to a Christian station, the D.J. was talking with a woman.  She said she had worked a job for fifteen years, but then in 2014, she was laid off.  Then she went to a temp company, and they placed her in a job.  It turned out to be her favorite job ever.  She woke up at 5:00am every weekday morning looking forward to her job.  But yesterday morning the temp company informed her the job was ending.  In one week it will be over.  Speaking to the D.J., she sobbed.  Then the D.J. started praying for her.  His prayer touched me.  And I prayed for her on my walk.
   Walking in the park my thoughts were flowing.  Like that woman, I have been in a job which I loved which came to an abrupt halt, actually several times and for various reasons, and each time it was extremely hurtful.  After working so hard and being so devoted to Jesus through it all, it hurts, and it can seem unreasonable.  If a job is enjoyed so much, why does God allow it to come to a premature or abrupt end?  If a child of God is working hard at a position, should not God reward that person by allowing her or him to continue in that employment?  And as I have mentioned previously, I have been unemployed for a long time, and that has been hard.  God keeps encouraging me, but no door has yet opened.
   After all of that thinking in the park while I walked around and around, the whole subject was rather overwhelming.  Yet I was blessed to acknowledge after my time thinking that because of sin, this world is full of daily tragedy, yet God will bring goodness from tragedy for those who turn to Him.  Regarding tragedy, God allows people to make their own choices, day after day.  When those choices are not within the will of God, people get hurt in some manner.  Yet praise be God, if you turn to God in the wake of being hurt in a tragedy, He can bring goodness for you.  This is revealed in the Bible: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 NIV).
   This does not mean that all things are good.  The Bible teaches sin is bad and hurts people.  However, for those who love God, and thus are willing to do His will, He will work in their lives to bring goodness.
   Today is “Good Friday,” when Christians remember the crucifixion of Jesus.  Why was it good Jesus was murdered?  It is the ultimate event where God brought the ultimate goodness out of the ultimate tragedy.  The ultimate tragedy is that Jesus, who was Immanuel which means God with us, was murdered.  Yet His plan was to be the substitute for the consequences of sins, which is spiritual death in hell.  When Jesus was murdered, He became the atonement for sins which is available for anyone.  Shedding His blood for the salvation of people was the ultimate goodness.
   Jesus could have chosen not to suffer death.  He did so because He loves us.  Many of us have gone through tragedies we could not avoid.  There are times when I have suffered or when I have seen someone else suffering when I have considered God does not love us.  I think, “How can God love us if He allows us to experience such extreme tragedy and suffering?”  Suffering all started because of the disobedience of people against God.  Yet Jesus suffered the atoning death on a cross to makes it possible for us to one day suffer no more, since believers in Jesus will be with Him for eternity in heaven.  If you do not know Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you can believe in Him right now and be saved!
   I hope you can say with me this “Good Friday,” “Thank You Jesus!”
Hunter