It’s natural to feel some sadness on Good Friday. It’s difficult to think of the pain and suffering that Jesus endured for our sakes. Still, it’s more important to focus on why Jesus died for us and what He accomplished.

Why did Jesus die? When God created the world He made everything and everyone perfect, and He lived with His creation in peace. But when God created man He created him in a very special way. Not only did He create him in His image, He created man to have freewill. That meant that man would have a choice to obey or disobey God.

Then one day something terrible happened. The people God created did what He told them not to do, and sin entered the world. Sin brought more disobedience, sadness, sickness, and death. Instantly, God’s perfect world was no longer perfect. Even worse, the people God created to live with Him, could no longer live with Him, so He sent them away.

After that day things continued to get worse, but because God loved His people so much He set a plan in motion to save them from their sins. God sent His perfect Son, Jesus, to die on the cross, paying the price for sin and setting those who believed in Him, free forever. And that’s just part of the story. Three days later Jesus rose from the dead, destroying death and opening up the doors of heaven for His believers to live with Him for all eternity!

It’s the greatest story ever told with the Happiest Ending FOREVER!

Day 1: Where did Jesus go after He rose from the dead? For 40 days Jesus appeared to many people on the earth after He rose. Then he was carried up into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father. (John 20-21, Matthew 22, Mark 16, Mark 16:19-20, Acts 7:58-56, Romans 8:34, Ephesians 1:20)

Day 2: What does Jesus‘s death and resurrection mean for you and all people? The Bible says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved. Salvation (being saved by God) means that God has covered our sins with the blood that Jesus shed on the cross. It means that we have been reunited with God in this life and for eternity when we die. Though our physical bodies will die one day, if we believe in God, He will raise us up to live with Him forever in heaven. (Romans 10:9)

Day 3: Why did Jesus die for us? Jesus died for us because He loved us. We were lost and separated from Him by our sin. He was our only hope. (John 3:16, Romans 5:8)

Day 4: What is heaven like? Most importantly God is in heaven.

Day 5: How will we get to heaven? Jesus promises to come and get us and bring us to heaven with Him when we die.