Australian icon and infamous outlaw Ned Kelly is reported to have uttered the phrase “Such is life” moments before he was hung in Melbourne Gaol on November 11, 1880. The words speak of an inevitability of death, and an acceptance that ultimately, you get what you deserve.
Ned Kelly was punished for his crimes by execution, yet every Good Friday we commemorate and celebrate a man who was punished unjustly. As Jesus hung on the cross, he died the death of an outlaw, yet we know that this man was innocent.
The Bible makes it clear that Jesus came with a mission. Jesus’ death on the cross is in our place for our sins meaning that we no longer have to face the wrath of God and suffer eternal separation from the One who gives life. When Jesus utters his final words, “It is finished”, his mission is complete. Those who put their trust in him get the exact opposite of what they deserve. Through his death Jesus gives us real hope that we don’t have to face the inevitable, because he has done it on our behalf. That is why Good Friday is so very good!
Why don’t you come along this Friday at 9am and hear more about the finished work of Jesus and the real hope that is available through him?