When I say the words “Black Friday,” it’s no secret what we think about, especially in the month of November. It’s the day a lot of businesses count on to take their business from the “red” to the “black,” on their financial statements. For consumers, it’s the day you count on getting very good deals. At our house, my daughters by marriage plan out every minute of it. It starts long before Friday with a list of what they are looking to buy. On Thursday morning, Thanksgiving day, there’s a mad scurry to get to a paper stand to buy, not one, but two newspapers, where the advertisements for the following day will be. They quickly separate the papers and begin their mission to look for deals. Upon finding a very good deal, they will alert one another. The chatter about what a good deal they find becomes the topic of conversation for the day. They plan out their approach to each store according to which one opens first. Now the execution of the mission begins. Black Friday begins on Thursday! While this is a fun black Friday, there is another black Friday that happened over 2000 years ago. It’s the day Jesus lay in the tomb because of His death to provide redemption for our sins.
Just like the Friday after Thanksgiving, this Friday was well planned. It had been planned by God before the world began. God did not cause mankind to sin, but because He is all-knowing, He knew man would sin. Because of His desire to create others in His image that He could love and have fellowship with, God planned for their redemption.
Ephesians 1:4 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:”
1 Peter 1:18-20 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”
The process for His black Friday included a gruesome awful treatment by those He was dying for. The soldiers beat Him until he was unrecognizable. Yet, he uttered not a word in His defense. He knew the sin penalty had to be paid, and He was the only one qualified. He was God in the flesh, and He chose to yield to His Father and not sin while here on earth. This awful period that led to his final last words included the pain of His Father turning His back on His Son. Because of His holiness, God can not look upon sin. It was the only time in history when they were not in perfect communion. It included His earthly mother, Mary, watching her Son being brutally beaten and hung in shame naked for all to look at and mock Him. As a mom, I can think of nothing that would tear my heart into like seeing my son treated this way.
So, when you are thinking of all you will do today, take some time to reflect on a black Friday that has eternal meaning for all of us. It was no “great deal” for God to sacrifice His Son. There were no opportunities for Him to avoid any of the pain, no discounts, no purchase ahead of time. It must all happen the way God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit designed it to be before the foundation of the world begin. While you may benefit monetarily from the black Friday we are all familiar with, and you may be super excited with all the deals and reward points you receive, the greatest deal ever offered to you was the price paid for your sins. The black Friday that Christ endured, paid your sin debt in full. If you miss this deal you will be eternally punished for your own sin. Why not accept Christ’s payment for you? Make sure this black Friday you remember the ultimate Black Friday! Rejoice in the greatest deal ever offered to you!
