What’s so good about “Good Friday”?
Today guest host
Alex McFarland with Southern Evangelical Seminary discusses today’s topic! On this day in which Christians around the world commemorate the death of Jesus Christ, Alex McFarland talks about this subject with two significant Christian leaders. The first half of today’s show features Dr. Ross Rhoads- founder of Southern Evangelical Seminary, leader for many years of the historic Calvary Church in Charlotte, NC. Dr. Rhoads is currently chaplain for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and known internationally as a Christian leader and advocate for evangelism. In the second portion of Truth Talk Live, we’ll hear from author Michael Licona, Ph.D., an expert on the resurrection, ancient evidence for the life of Christ, and on New Testament history. Dr. Licona is Director of Apologetics for the North American Mission Board, representing 45,000 churches throughout the US and Canada. Alex McFarland has appeared in hundreds of locations throughout the U.S. and internationally. He has been interviewed by Billy Graham’s Decision radio broadcast, James Dobson (Focus On The Family radio), The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chuck Colson’s Breakpoint broadcast, CBS, FOX, NBC news, (SRN) Salem Radio Network news, the Associated Press (AP) wire service, Los Angeles Times, Boston Herald, the BBC, OK- The Celebrity News Magazine, Prime Time America, Bible Broadcast Network, La Vie (France), Christianity Today, Charisma, On Mission, and by many other media outlets as well.
CHECK OUT TRUTH TALK LIVE FOOTAGE IN THE DAFAR!
PLEASE PRAY FOR BOBBY MICHAELS FAMILY!
22 Comments on “What’s so good about “Good Friday”?”
Happy Good Friday everyone!
Hey, how come the only people posting here on this website to wish all the Christians a Happy Holidays on Good Friday, so far, have been….the two Pagans, me and Ferox?
Seems odd.
John: Does it? To me Good Friday is not just a ‘Happy Holiday’, my thoughts were very much on the cross…..in fact from 9.00 until 3.00 I thot about how long Jesus had to suffer there to pay for my sin!
I’m with Maz on this one. I appreciated the sentiment expressed by Ferox (and yourself) but for me, Good Friday is not a ‘holiday’ per se. Its a day for fasting and somber reflection. But your good will was noted and very much appreciated. Thank you.
Hey John, I have to say that from what Ferox says I am impressed by the loving and compassionate nature you must have to have welcomed Ferox into your home. And I hope that Ferox is able to find another such person wherever she ends up, because it is not good for souls to live alone and isolated.
Yes, I too appreciate the sentiment John. You surely have a soft heart. I only wish you could really understand what Good Friday means, and let Jesus into your life.
Hello again. Sorry not to get back to you two sooner, but there’s been lots going on, and I was sea fishing all day.
Maz, I never really completely EXCLUDED a belief or respect for Jesus you know. My attitude is one of….”professional theological curtsy”, you might say.
As for your somber reflections in regards to Good Friday, remember, this was his destiny, to be the ultimate blood sacrifice and martyr for all of humanity. Do you think that he DIDN’T know what was coming? Sure he did. That night before, when he was praying in that garden why, I wouldn’t have been surprised if his dad was probably even giving him words of reassurance.Or something.
Now, I’m not saying that Christians should be out doing cartwheels in the streets over this or have the same festive airs that seem to dominate the holiday of Christmas, but could you not take some form of comfort in knowing what his death was leading up to, or simply as a day of respectful remembrance, like we do with Martin Luther King jr. Day?
Did any of you actually read that book “The Shack” that Truth Talk Live had a show on? It had a very interesting take on this sacrifice. If you didn’t yet read it then you should check it out some time. I finished reading it a month ago and personally didn’t see what people would have to really complain about. I enjoyed it just as I did “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”.
Kash post number 4,
It wasn’t easy.
In the beginning it was like befriending the shark from the movie “Jaws”.
“Long is the way
And hard, that out of Hell leads up to light.”-John Milton, Paradise Lost
Ferox is fascinating companionship, and shall be missed. But there is no armor against fate.
Because of Easter, we take comfort every day. Good Friday is a day to remember that though He went willingly, it is our sins that sent him there, not just the sins of Adam long ago.
John: ”Do you think that he DIDN’T know what was coming? Sure he did.”
Ofcourse I knew He knew.
And what made you help Ferox in the first place? It seems like a very sacrificial thing to do.
We couldn’t kill or stop Ferox, so we had to find an alternative solution. Luckily things have worked out rather well, all things considering.
Happy Easter everyone!
Or, if this holiday is too Pagan for you to fully enjoy or put up with, then,…”Happy Resurrection Day”!
“We couldn’t kill or stop Ferox, so we had to find an alternative solution.” I think that’s what Jesus was good at, and wants us to do: find alternative solutions!
Well, as long as one can find some way to pull it off.
John: I prefer to say Happy Resurrection Day because Easter has pagan origins. It puzzles me why Christians still use the term, or maybe they are just ignorant of it’s origins.
Yes, some Christians are ignorant about the origins of biblical stories…
Ignorance is epidemic, Alex.
However a cure IS available. But people have to want it.
It was not John’s choice to try and help me Maz, but that of his elders, for John was only a child at the time. John’s Grandfather was a wonderful man, a powerful fighter and a brilliant intellectual. Twas him that began my education, of which I shall not bore you with the details. A truce was formed, a partnership of sorts, one might say, but here I am going completely off topic, so I shall cease talking about this matter. My apologies, Moderator.
”Ignorance is epidemic, Alex.
However a cure IS available. But people have to want it.”
Well said Ferox!
The ‘cure’ is in Jesus Christ……but people don’t want HIM.
This is what the Bible says about them, ”This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the igorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart…” Ephesians 4 v 17,18.
And I am interested in your life Ferox…….have you ever thot of writing a book!!?
Only as a “Ghost-Writer”, perhaps, but that time is past. Being interesting
comes rather easily when one is a weirdo.
Oh Ferox! You have obviously been called many demeaning things in your life for whatever reason, but you should not be that way to yourself. God loves you….even as you are…believe it or not. And He thinks you are special…..He sent Jesus to die for you aswell as everyone else. Ofcourse you don’t have to stay the way you are (atleast not inside), Jesus can touch your heart and mind and change you into something beautiful……REALLY!! Just give Him a chance.
My apologies for not responding to you any sooner Maz, I was out killing things.
Maz, you do not understand. This is not something that can be fixed.
Ferox: What needs fixing? With God nothing is impossible……not even you!
Uhhhhh Huuuuhhhhhh.
Ferox: UHHHHH HUUUUHHHHH!!
Bernie, this is the most recent thread that is related to the resurrection, so I’ll reply to your answer to my question here. I really appreciate you taking the time to answer. I won’t argue whether those examples can really be called “resurrections” per se, we’ll just assume they are enough the same to qualify. So my next question is: are there any other instances where a “new” religion (or at least, a radically modified old one) was started post-resurrection? I mean, where within 6 months the followers were in the thousands and spread throughout the Roman empire within a generation? Since you do not believe that Jesus actually existed (or Paul), to what do you attribute this amazing growth that far exceeded the growth of the cult of Jesus before his death? I mean, most cults grow rapidly while their leader is alive and then gradually die off after the leader does. The opposite happens with Chirst (and arguably, Mohammed and perhaps Joseph Smith, and I don’t think you deny their existence). I am curious what makes you particularly vehement against the existence of a historical Jesus.