Lessons of Good Friday

Today, Christians all over the world are observing Good Friday, the day Jesus Christ was crucified on the Cross of Calvary where He shed His blood over 2,000 years ago for the atonement of the sins of mankind.  The death, resurrection on the third day and ascension of Jesus usually mark the high point of very significant religious activities in the Christian calendar regarded as fundamental to their faith.

The journey to Easter began with the 40-day Lent during which Christians fasted, prayed and solidified their relationship with God. En route to the celebration, the adherents of the Christian religion also observed the Palm Sunday as well as Good Friday which is in remembrance of the agony, shame and mockery that Jesus was subjected to by his fellow Jews and Roman soldiers on the Cross of Calvary.
On Monday, believers will mark the convergence of the disciples on Galilee, as Jesus instructed them to meet Him there for the last time before His ascension into heaven. The importance of the season to the Christendom cannot be over-flogged.

It is during this period – from Lent to Easter Monday – that Christians mostly exhibit the virtues of love, sacrifice, altruism and forgiveness as exemplified by Jesus Christ during His ministry on earth that spanned a period of three and a half years. Even for churches that traditionally do not observe the other historic seasons like Christmas, Easter holds a sacred place as the keystone of their worship.
What is being observed today was the harrowing suffering and death of a perfect Messiah who abandoned the glory of His heavenly abode on a divine mission to rescue man and reconcile him to his Maker by His death and resurrection.

We rejoice with our Christian brothers and sisters around the world during this year’s Easter celebration. However, this year’s commemoration has come at a time, especially in Nigeria, when the citizens are not only experiencing severe economic hardship but also making sacrifices for a better tomorrow.
It is noteworthy that Christ’s ministry was associated with the poor, the needy and the afflicted. The Buhari administration was swept into power through the massive votes of the downtrodden Nigerians who had hankered after a better life. But have their expectations been met? It is almost two years now that Buhari mounted the saddle.

The economy is still in the woods, prices of goods and services have continued to defy the law of gravity and power is refusing to stabilise. Hunger, frustration and despair are palpable. Many have been driven to suicide. Although Boko Haram has been degraded, kidnappers and armed bandits still stalk the land freely. Rapists are having a field day.

Some victims especially minors are mercilessly raped to death. These acts are as ungodly as they negate the spirit of Easter.
Our political leaders, irrespective of their religious persuasions, should imbibe the spirit of Easter which is sacrifice to mankind. It is an irony that a nation blessed with unquantifiable natural and human resources harbours some of the poorest people on earth, simply because its leaders’ pastime, until lately, was looting of the treasury and transferring the looted funds to western and Middle East nations.

It is no surprise that with the inequality in the land, our country has become one of the most dangerous places on the planet to live in.
We also urge all Nigerians to see this occasion as a period to demonstrate the spirit of religious tolerance, forgiveness and love for one another. They should pray for a united, stable and prosperous Nigeria. Both the government and the governed must henceforth live each day as Easter. Happy Easter celebration!

The Christians in particular should show example of the kind of love that Christ displayed by offering Himself as a sacrifice that all may have abundant life here on earth and the opportunity of eternal life hereafter. Such love, which transcends personal and selfish gratification, should be extended to non-Christian brothers and sisters with all genuineness.
It is also noteworthy that Christ’s ministry was associated with the poor, the needy and the afflicted. We call on all Nigerians to pray for a stable and prosperous nation.
Happy Easter celebration!

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