Why is it Good?

*source*

 So today is Good Friday.
A day of:
- no traffic on the roads
- no work
- no stress
- no worries

So it's good yer? But tracing back it's origins it really is pinned on the event in history being the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the cross. So one man got crucified, big deal, criminals get crucified all the time as the worse form of Roman punishment for what they have committed. So what did Jesus do?

"The chief priests [Jewish leaders] accused him of many things.
So again Pilate [Roman governor] asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”  But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed." - Mark 15:3-5

The innocent man Jesus, who lived up to his claim of being the King of the Jews through his miracles, compassion, divine insight and his actions being a fulfilling of Old Testament scripture, died!. Is this unjust?
Certainly seems so. He did no crime.

Instead Jesus, leading up to his death predicted it will occur and on the third day rise again. Mark 8:31-38
But why?

We find out in the book of  Isaiah 53: 4-6,

"Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 
 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

In today's language this means that, we all like to live life our own way, being the king of our own lives, no one tells us what to do, know one knows better but me, ME ME ME. Naturally that self-living-mentality would leave no room for a God. Thus we seek independence from God. The Bible knows this as "sin" or "iniquities" in the above passage. The center of it being "sIn", "I" literally.

The result of this is that sin cannot be overlooked, God has always extended his arm to us, to personally know us, but we choose to reject. We have wronged the loving creator who rightly does deserve our attention as he gives and sustain life itself. Our actions and attitudes of rebelling against Him lead us to death, forever separated from Him and as bad as this sounds to the ears - punishment. We are all held accountable for our rebellion against God. We simply cannot save ourselves, no matter how many "good" deeds or works we do, we always fall short. It's a problem of our hearts, being far away from God.

This is where Jesus comes in. He was perfect, Son of Man , in other words, God in human flesh. Eww. yer kinda. But God becoming man so that he relates to all our trials and sufferings, yet he is still God so he triumphs over it all!. More on Jesus being both God and man here. So when we should really be the ones dying on the cross for our sins, Jesus instead takes our place. We are forgiven if we choose to trust this once and for all act. God took on the punishment on himself, paid the price for our sins, so that we walk free. Free to know him, free to come to him unhindered. No longer guilty. Like a criminal sitting in a cell who was destined for a death sentence, Jesus use that key to set us free and took our place instead. That indeed is the reason this friday is good. We are free from sin.

And the best part? Jesus didn't remain dead. He conquered it. On the third day, he rose! What a message of hope. Blessed assurance. Indeed.