There’s a marine training facility called Parris Island. A young man signed up who was a bit out of step with the others. He was nice enough—but he just didn’t fit in. As a result, he got picked on—a lot.

In his barracks, there were guys who were particularly mean. One of them came up with an idea to drop a disarmed hand grenade on the floor pretending like it was about to go off. They figured he would totally freak out and embarrass himself.

The next time they were all together someone out of view tossed in the disarmed grenade. “It’s a live grenade, it’s about to explode!”

But the young recruit, instead of running away, jumped on top of the grenade, hugged it to his stomach, and yelled, “Run for your lives! If you don’t you’ll be killed!”

They all stood there, frozen in their own shame, marveling at what he was prepared to do for them without any regard for himself. What they thought would be a moment of great embarrassment and humiliation turned out to be a moment of great self-sacrifice and glory.*

To me, that story sheds light on the meaning of Good Friday—except that for Jesus, the danger was real, and he knew it.

Christ went to the cross, in an act of great self-sacrifice. He did it for you and for me. Isaiah 53:5 says: “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities…”

Today, give thanks for the Saviour who stepped into the line of fire and went to the cross for you. He took upon himself the punishment you deserve, so that you could be forgiven and reconciled with your heavenly Father forever. 

Good Friday is “good” not because of what happened to Jesus, but because of what happened for you.

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Notes:

-A version of today’s devotional first appeared on March 30, 2018.
-*Tony Campolo, Let Me Tell You A Story (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2000), 21.
-Bible quotes are from the ESV.