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What Is Good Friday ?
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“ tent meetings ” were extended for a total of eight weeks as hundreds of thousands of men , women and children gathered to hear Graham ’ s messages . On the heels of this campaign , Graham started the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association , which was incorporated in 1950 . Since 2000 , Graham ’ s son , Franklin , has led the Charlotte-based organization , which employs some 500 people worldwide . Billy Graham may be best known , however , for his evangelistic missions or “ Crusades .” He believed God knew no borders or nationalities . Throughout his career , Graham preached to millions in locations from Addis Ababa , Ethiopia to Zagorsk , Russia ; and from Wellington , New Zealand to the National Cathedral in Washington . In 1973 , Graham addressed more than one million people crowded into Yoido Plaza in Seoul , South Korea — the largest live audience of his Crusades . Breaking Down Barriers Preaching in Johannesburg in 1973 , tell our neighbors about the Good News of Jesus Christ and reap eternal rewards . Good News Press believes that this commission begins in our own backyards . There are more than 7 Million people in the Bay Area . We want to share the good news , and bring to them the love of Jesus Christ .
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Rev . Billy Graham Continued
Graham said , “ Christ belongs to all people . He belongs to the whole world .… I reject any creed based on hate … Christianity is not a white man ’ s religion , and don ’ t let anybody ever tell you that it ’ s white or black .” Graham spoke to people of all ethnicities , creeds and backgrounds . Early in his career , he denounced racism when desegregation was not popular . Before the U . S . Supreme Court banned discrimination on a racial basis , Graham held desegregated Crusades , even in the Deep South . He declined invitations to speak in South Africa for 20 years , choosing instead to wait until the meetings could be integrated . Integration occurred in 1973 , and only then did Graham make the trip to South Africa . A 1977 trip to communist-led Hungary opened doors for Graham to conduct preaching missions in virtually every country of the former Eastern Bloc ( including the Soviet Union ), as well as China and North Korea .
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Good Friday is a holiday celebrated by the Christian Church in commemoration of the day Jesus died on a cross . Christians believe that the death of Jesus as a willing sacrifice paid the penalty for the sinfulness of humanity . As a result , we
can receive forgiveness today .
Christians around the world consider Jesus to have been God in the flesh — the second member of the Trinity . ( The Trinity is the understanding that God is one in essence but exists with three centers of personhood .) Seeing the hopeless and sinful condition of humanity , he chose to enter into Creation in the form of the
man , Jesus Christ .
Arriving as a baby born to a virgin named Mary , Jesus grew up among us . At about the age of 30 , Jesus began his public ministry of teaching , healing , and proclaiming
the Kingdom of Heaven .
Three years later , the Jewish religious leaders ( who felt threatened by Jesus ’ rising popularity ) conspired against him . The Bible describes how they paid people to give false accusations against Jesus , implying that Jesus was rebelling against the Roman authorities that were ruling over
Israel at the time .
Jesus was subsequently arrested , put on trial , and sentenced to execution by crucifixion . After verifying that he was dead by thrusting a sword through his side , the Romans allowed the body to be taken down and buried in a tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea . Guards were stationed to watch over the tomb to ensure that no one , especially the disciples , tried
to do anything to the body .
The Bible reveals that this was all part of God ’ s plan from the beginning . Several Old Testament prophecies written centuries earlier foretold the crucifixion of Jesus in detail - even before crucifixion became
a common form of execution .
So why was the death of Jesus necessary ? According to Christian teaching , God is a God of love as well as a God of justice . His love desired to offer forgiveness to all of humanity for its sinful rebellion against him . But his justice demanded that wrongs be punished , and the punishment for rebellion against God is death . So the solution was for God to become a man and
pay the penalty in our place .
However , Christians also recognize that Jesus ’ death was only temporary . On the third day — the day we know as Easter — his tomb was found empty . Over the next forty days , hundreds of eyewitnesses reported seeing Jesus alive . He had walked with them , taught them , and eaten with them . Their conclusion : Jesus had risen
from the dead .
Today , Christians still observe the Good Friday / Easter weekend as pivotal to their faith . All of Christianity hinges on the death of Jesus and his subsequent resurrection from the dead . It teaches that , because of his death , we can experience forgiveness . And because of his resurrection , we can know he has authority over
life and death .