TODAY Christians will observe Good Friday–what many refer to as the ‘oxymoron of an unhappy celebration’–yet for Jesus’s followers, his death is a sacred pillar of their faith. The whole message of Christianity is premised on Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.

For according to scriptures, without the shedding of blood there could be no remission of sins: Hebrews 9:11-28.

Good Friday reminds us also about the supreme sacrifice the Son of God made to redeem sinful man and though his crucifixion was tainted with political injustice, Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2.

History records that as Jesus was being delivered to the people to be crucified, with shouts of triumph, he was weak and faint from weariness, pain, and loss of blood by the scourging and blows which he had received; yet the heavy cross upon which he was soon to be nailed was laid upon him.

Jesus fainted beneath the burden. Three times the cross was placed upon His shoulders, and three times he fainted. One of His followers–a man who had not openly professed faith in Christ–yet believed in him, was next seized. Upon him the cross was laid, and he bore it to the fatal spot.

The mother of Jesus was also there. Her heart must have pierced with anguish such as none but a fond mother can feel. As Jesus hung upon the cross, some who passed by reviled him, wagging their heads as if bowing to a king, and said to him, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” Matthew 27:40.

The last lesson of Jesus was one of compassion and humanity. He looked upon the grief-stricken face of his mother, and then upon his beloved disciple, John. He said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then he said to John, “Behold your mother!” John 19:26-27. And from that hour, John took her to his own house. And if that were not enough, in his dying breath he muttered the famous prayer: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

As we have editorialised before, the teachings of Jesus are grounded in the principles of equality, justice, love among fellowmen, and redemption. The history of man has seen these principles used to topple oppressive systems such as slavery, indentureship and colonialism. The famed African-American Civil Rights for equality was grounded in this principle, which is also enshrined in the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the Guyana Constitution. Christ’s life exemplifies leadership by example.

He preached the principle of doing unto others as you would like them to do unto you. Christ’s teachings embody the spiritual, social, political and economic well-being of humankind. He spoke to the importance of spiritual health and wellness, condemned the bad practices of earthly governments and man, inclusive of poverty, intolerance, inequity and injustice.

Obviously, his presence on earth and teachings disrupted the status quo. The religious-minded and politically inclined found his leadership unnerving as he disturbed the way they preferred things. Thus, those who did not condemn his actions schemed to have him killed. As they proceeded with allegations of blasphemy and deserving of death, the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, even though finding no evidence to the effect, handed Jesus’s fate over to the crowd, who called for him to be crucified. And while man thought that in crucifying him, they were killing his teachings for a new dispensation, he was in fact paying the ultimate price to bring about a new life for humankind on earth.