04/10/20 Good Friday: One morning years ago at Oak Ridge National Laboratory I was walking down the hall. As I approached the coffee machine, I heard two of my colleagues arguing about why we call that day “Good Friday.” When they noticed me, one said, “Hey, there’s Mr. Ed—He’s a Bible thumper; maybe he knows!? Ed, how can you call it ‘good’ when there was a betrayal, a conspiracy, an illegal trial, a brutal torture and a horrendous death?”

I told them that the Jewish leaders hated Jesus and wanted Him dead. The same crowd that hailed His entrance a few days before demanded His death on Friday. The Romans were happy to kill anyone who threatened the military-style “peace” they maintained. Even Satan thought he had destroyed God’s plan to offer salvation to His people. It sure seemed as if God’s plan had failed and His enemies had won the victory.

I reminded them that God Himself had predestined all these events. He had communicated most of the details to the Jews years ahead of time through His prophets. AND, most important, Friday was GOOD because it set the stage for the RESURRECTION of our Lord and Savior on that first Easter Sunday morning!